The Prisoner
by dragonflybeach
Summary: While captive in Malfoy Manor, Luna becomes the guardian of the family's deepest secret.
1. Author's Note

Author's Note – This story deals with the aftermath of sexual abuse. I don't mean deals with it in the way we see far too often in fanfiction, where no one really gets hurt and some magic moment comes along that makes everything right with the world again. I mean deals with a character that is scarred soul deep and hurting in a way that may never completely heal. You've been warned.

That being said, there is a _story_ here, as in, there's a whole lot more to the content that just dealing with what happened. It's not all dark and gloomy. Some parts are sweet or even funny.

Happy reading, and please let me know what you think.


	2. Prologue

"Narcissa," the Dark Lord called her forward.

She stepped around her son, who seemed to the others to be bowed in reverence to his master. His mother knew he was doubled over in pain, and didn't want the others to see.

She obediently knelt before the monster of a man before her.

He stood from his armchair throne to walk over and pat Draco's head fondly. The boy did not look up.

"You have given me the greatest gift tonight." Voldemort continued. "A pity dear Lucius could not be here to share in this moment of glory. You have given me your son, the first and best of the next generation of my followers. He is strong in body and spirit and sharp in wits. A firstborn son, of purest blood. The descendant of the houses of Malfoy and Black, two of the most ancient wizarding families. He is destined for greatness."

He walked back over to Narcissa, pausing in front of her. "We will train him well, and he will take his aunt's place as my most devoted servant." the Dark Lord took Narcissa's hand and drew her to her feet. "You have greatly honored me with your gift."

He gave her his version of a smile, a twisted grimace baring broken teeth.

Bellatrix looked at her master and her sister and saw red.

Then she looked at her nephew and saw Black.

* * *

><p><em>"Let it go, my sweet Draco."<em>

Awareness came to him suddenly. Like a drum, everything was pounding. His arm was throbbing. His pulse was battering the inside of his skull. And he was ramming himself into the woman beneath him.

In a moment, everything exploded. With a guttural cry, he gave into the most powerful orgasm of his life, shuddering and collapsing onto his partner, who moaned in response.

His head began to clear, and with it came the questions. Or most specifically, one question.

_What the fuck?_

He was at the Manor. Pansy wasn't here. As soon as the thought came to the front of his mind, another followed it.

_This isn't Pansy._

The sex he just had was nothing like the three fumbling experiences they had shared in closets or empty classrooms.

The room was so dark he could barely make out the woman's silhouette.

Her hand ran through his hair. Then she laughed, a high, shrill, psychotic laugh.

Draco rolled to the edge of the bed, held his head over, and threw up.

* * *

><p>The next night, she came to his room again.<p>

He knew why she was there. Especially when she had come dressed like that.

"No," he whimpered, backing away.

The pretty rainbow lights sprang from the tip of her wand.

He whispered "Yes, Auntie Bella."

* * *

><p>She came to his room every night after that. Sometimes she would imperius him into obedience. Sometimes she would crucio him, and then dive onto him as he lay there shuddering in the aftermath of torture. Sometimes she just tied him to the bed magically and had her way with him while he was alert and concious of what she was doing. Occasionally, she would find him during the day, and if she was reasonably sure of not being disturbed, she would have him then too.<p>

He told her that what they were doing was wrong. That it was sick. She laughed at him.

In the fourth week of her nightly visits, she opened the door to find him naked, waiting for her.

"You're such a good boy," she praised, pressing her lips to his neck.

He kept his head turned, unable to look at her. Hating her because he knew she would take what she wanted, whether he gave it willingly or not. Hating himself for giving up and accepting that she was going to fuck him whenever she felt like it. Hating himself that he made it easier for her, so she wouldn't continue to hurt him.

Hating himself for the pleasure she gave him when she rewarded his obedience with her mouth.

* * *

><p>Draco begged his mother to let him go spend a week or so with Theo. Or Blaise. Or Goyle. Or even Crabbe. He even begged to go to Hogwarts early, to prepare for his Great Task.<p>

She said no each time. The Dark Lord wanted him here. Wanted to supervise Draco's training in the Dark Arts.

He couldn't reveal the nightly training he was receiving in a certain art in the dark. It was the one thing that would have made her send him away.

It was the one thing he couldn't tell her.

* * *

><p>The week before Draco returned to Hogwarts, they were seated at the dinner table. It was a small group this evening; Draco, Narcissa, Bellatrix, Rodolphus, Rabastan, and the Dark Lord.<p>

"My Lord," Bellatrix left her place at the table to kneel beside him. "I live to serve you and to please you in all things. I have the most wonderful news! Your two most faithful servants will present you with another servant in April!"

"Bitch!" Rodolphus leapt to his feet. "You fucking whore!"

Narcissa quirked an eyebrow, an expression more commonly seen on her son. "I take it only one of the Dark Lord's most faithful servants is a Lestrange?"

Bellatrix rose to her feet, smirking as she splayed both hands over her flat stomach. "There will be no weak Lestrange blood in this child. It will be born of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black!"

Narcissa paled and gasped, whirling to look at the only living male Black descendant.

Draco bolted from the room.

* * *

><p>Narcissa found her only child in the nearest bathroom, sitting on the floor, with his head resting on the arm draped across the toilet.<p>

She knelt beside him, and all the condemnation on her tongue fled when he raised shattered eyes to her.

Her heart broke for him as she reached out to wipe the tears from his cheeks.

"I didn't want her to come to my room at night." he whispered. "I didn't want her to make me do those things. And I don't want her to have a baby, because everyone will _know_."

She gathered him into her arms, rocking him, petting his hair, and whispering nonsense that everything would be all right. Because at that moment, he was not a Death Eater in training or an expectant father. He was a terrified little boy.

* * *

><p>Bella's door burst open, nearly flying off its hinges.<p>

By the time she turned around, the room's occupant found herself flung against the wall.

"You forced yourself on my son!" Narcissa growled, wand pointed at her sister's throat.

Bellatrix laughed in her face. "If he's anything like his father, now I know why you married Lucius. Draco fucks like a god."

Narcissa slapped her sister so hard something snapped in her wrist.

Bellatrix sneered at her. "Watch yourself, little sister. The Dark Lord was quite pleased with the news of my gift. You wouldn't want to endanger the child that will eventually rule by his side."

Narcissa stepped back, trembing at the thought.

"You know it's the truth." Bellatrix continued. "You can't turn me out of your house. You can't force me to abort this child. You can't do anything, except smile and accept that your grandchild will be the chosen one of the Dark Lord. If you try anything, it won't be just your life, but Draco's and Lucius' as well."

"Stay away from my son, or you won't live long enough to have this child." Narcissa warned.

"I don't need him any more." Bellatrix smirked. "He's done his part."

* * *

><p>Pansy was the one person he confided his secret. She was, after all, his oldest friend and probably the one person in his life he truly trusted, other than his mother.<p>

It was a mistake.

She tried to understand what he was going through. She really did. But she just didn't look at him the same again. Even though he didn't expect or even want her to resume their physical relationship, it still crushed him when he tried to hold her hand and she yanked away from him.

A week after he first told her, he obliviated her, convincing her that she had told him that she just wanted to be friends because she had a crush on Theodore Nott.

It hurt, seeing her chase after someone else and not being the center of her world any more. But not as much as the disgust in her eyes.

* * *

><p>His godfather tried to talk to him right before Christmas.<p>

"Draco," he sighed. "I know you feel that your life is out of your control. But you have to control your anger, or it will cause you to make stupid mistakes, which someone in your position can ill afford. Whether you talk it out or deal with it in another way, you have to work through the anger."

"Wouldn't you be angry if you were over your head with a task for the Dark Lord that everyone expects you to fail?" Draco snapped.

"I wasn't referring to the task, although I have expressed to you before that I would be willing to help you with it." Uncle Sev's eyes bored into his. "I meant the situation with Bellatrix."

Draco rolled his eyes. "It's done for now. And I'll just stay out of her way when I get home."

Snape shook his head. "You can't just lock the memories away and pretend they never happened. Otherwise, they will destroy you. Or cause you to destroy yourself."

"And you're some kind of expert on this?" Draco snorted. "What? Your aunt had sex with you too?"

"Not my aunt." Uncle Sev looked at him without a trace of emotion.

If Draco had not sealed off his heart, it would have hurt for another child who had been harmed by someone who was supposed to take care of him.

* * *

><p>It was two days before Valentine's Day when Draco was summoned to the headmaster's office. His godfather stood to the side of the desk, looking at him with pity. Or as close as Severus Snape could come to showing any emotion.<p>

"My dear boy, I regret to inform you that your Aunt Bellatrix has suddenly taken ill." Dumbledore looked over the top of his glasses. "Severus will escort you home immediately, and will return for you when you are able to return to school."

Draco looked at Snape with wide eyes. It was much to early._ It_ wasn't due until early April.

"Is there anything from your dorm you require for the next few days?" Snape asked.

Draco shook his head, dumbfounded.

"Very well, then." Dumbledore gestured toward the floo. "I'm sure I will be seeing you soon, Mr. Malfoy."

If it was possible, Draco's soul froze even further. He would swear the old man _knew _about his task.

* * *

><p>They arrived at the Manor to shrieking coming from Bellatrix' room.<p>

"She's in labor already?" Draco asked Snape, stepping out of the fireplace.

The older man nodded.

"Why do I have to be here?" Draco whined. "There's nothing I can do."

"Because the Dark Lord called for you to be here. You have to show the Dark Lord how thrilled you are to be giving him your first born child. If you do not, the Dark Lord will think you are disloyal and insolent. As he is already starting to believe from the fact that Dumbledore is still alive." Snape drawled, pointing toward the doorway.

Bellatrix smiled when she saw the father of her child. "Draco," she gasped out. "You're just in time to welcome our little Death Eater."

Narcissa sat at her sister's side, her eyes reflecting the pain she knew her son felt. Mrs. Goyle and a midwife were attending to the business end of the birth, while the Dark Lord himself paced near the window as if he were the expectant father.

"Almost there," the midwife encouraged. "It's almost time to push, and then the little one will be here."

Draco felt sorry for the woman, knowing she would be obliviated after this was over. If she was lucky.

Snape had positioned himself just inside the door, probably to keep Draco from escaping. Draco dropped into the chair near the fireplace, covering his face with his hands, wondering what everyone would do if he gave into his urge to vomit, right here, right now.

The rest of the group was saved from his defiling the floor by the midwife's announcement that Bellatrix could push. Draco was called to her side so that he could hold her hand and witness their child being born. He looked across the form huddled in the bed and met the knowing face of his mother. He did not want to think of his mother going through something like this to bring him into the world.

He didn't want to think, period. He didn't want to be here. He didn't want to have a baby, whether he was here to witness it or not.

He wanted Bellatrix and that _thing_ in her belly to go away. Forever.

He obediently held Bellatrix's hand and supported her back while she pushed, aware of the Dark Lord's attention on them and the consequences if he didn't appear to be thrilled at his part in this farce.

On the fourth push, something slithered out of Bellatrix' body into the waiting hands of the midwife. Draco dropped Bellatrix's hand and craned his neck to see what the commotion was. The midwife and Mrs. Goyle were doing something, but he had no idea what. Snape approached them, apparently trying to help.

"It's not crying," Bellatrix said, puzzled.

He looked across her, meeting his mother's wide eyes.

The Dark Lord stepped over to the women just as the child gave a weak cry. It sounded more like the mewl of a sick kitten.

"It's a boy," the midwife proclaimed with a fake smile as she handed the child to Voldemort.

"I have given the Dark Lord a son," Bellatrix crowed proudly.

Voldemort looked from the baby, to her, to Draco, and back to her. "This child is not healthy." he spat in disgust.

He thrust the child into Snape's hands and angrily strode from the room. Snape almost dropped the boy in his shock. He looked at Draco and then the women in panic.

Draco tooke two steps toward his godfather. Snape nearly ran the remaining distance and shoved the faintly wailing child into his hands, fleeing the room as well.

Draco looked at the child. The Dark Lord was right. In addition to being so small, the child's lips were almost blue, his movements were jerky, his chest was heaving, and he just didn't look right. He looked at his mother and aunt. Apparently Mrs. Goyle had already taken the midwife out to deal with her.

"What am I supposed to do?" he asked. He had never even held a baby before, and certainly not one that was tiny enough to fit in his two hands.

At the sound of his voice, the baby fell quiet. Draco looked down, suddenly afraid the thing was dead.

The child looked at him, with wide blue-gray eyes and blinked. He could see himself in the cheekbones, the pointed chin, the shape of the lips.

"This is your fault!" Bellatrix shrieked. "The Malfoy blood must have produced this inferior creature! Such a thing would never have come from the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black!"

The baby began to cry again at her exclamation. The sound was weaker and even more pitiful than before.

Narcissa now stood at his side, peeking at the face of her grandchild. Her eyes filled with tears. "I'm not sure this child will survive." she whispered.

"It will not survive!" Bellatrix raged. "In ancient Greece, if a child was born weak or ill, the father took it outside and left it to die. Better to get rid of them right away. Go on then, Draco. Do it. You didn't want this child anyway."

"You can't be serious," he looked up in shock.

"It's for the best," Bellatrix said, her voice calmer. "It's sickly and pathetic. Here's your chance. Get rid of this one. When you come home this summer, we will try again and see if you can get it right the next time."

Narcissa stalked over to the bed to confront her sister.

Draco looked down at the baby in his hands, which had stopped crying again. The child stared back at him, yawning and shuddering weakly.

Draco bolted from the room, cradling his son against his chest. He ran into the dining room, dodging around the Dark Lord and Snape. He stood in the fireplace, threw a handful of floo powder, and spoke clearly "St. Mungo's."


	3. Chapter 1

The cloaked man grabbed Luna's arm, dragging her with more force than necessary out of the room and up the stairs. They made several turns, leaving Luna positive she would never find her way back to the drawing room without a guide. They stopped, and he shoved Luna roughly toward the door in front of them. Without a word, he turned and walked back in the direction from which they had come.

There was a sound coming from inside the room, which was either a wounded animal or a crying baby.

Luna opened the door, not sure what to expect. What she certainly had not expected was to find herself in what appeared to be a nursery. Even more surprising was the sight of Draco Malfoy, walking the floor, holding the crying baby.

And he was singing softly to the baby.

She stepped closer, so that her shadow fell across his line of sight. Draco looked up sharply, angling the child away from the intruder protectively.

"Hello, Draco." she said softly.

"What are you doing here?" he snapped.

"Bellatrix said that I might be useful in helping to care for some pathetic creature. Your mother said the his name was Caelum and your aunt of all people should not to speak of him that way, and then your father stood between them as they got ready to argue. One of the Death Eaters took my arm and brought me here." she shrugged nonchalantly, as if this happened to her every day.

"Bitch." he snarled, looking back down at the baby. "Oh, not you." he said when a confused look momentarily crossed Luna's face. "Auntie Bella." he rolled his eyes. "This is Caelum. He is not a pathetic creature."

"Caelum means heavenly in Latin. And is a derivation of the Gaelic word for child." she tipped her head to one side to look at him.

"It's also one of the smallest constellations." Draco looked at her strangely.

"Whose child is he?" Luna had fallen into step with Draco, pacing across the carpet alongside.

"Mine." There was no further information volunteered.

Luna stepped closer to look at the heavy-lidded child, whose cries were starting to dissolve into gasping hiccups between wails.

"He's very handsome, Draco," she commented. "How old is he?"

"Almost 11 months," Draco laid his cheek against the top of the child's head.

Luna frowned.

"Yeah, I know," Draco answered before she could speak. "He's small for his age."

"Does his mother live here with you?" she asked, reaching out to touch her fingertip against a tiny fist.

He met Luna's eyes with hostility. "His mother didn't want him because he wasn't perfect. So it's just me and him. My mother and the house elves take care of him while I'm away."

"He's why you didn't come back to school this year." she nodded. "And why you sneaked out of school so much at night last year?"

He looked at her, frowning. He hadn't told anyone that he crept out of the building and apparated to the hospital at night whenever he could. The Vanishing Cabinet should have been ready in April, but he spent so much time at St Mungo with Caelum that the plan had not been enacted until June.

Draco shrugged. "He was born almost two months early. He had a hole in his heart, and his lungs weren't developed completely. Then he had more health issues beyond that. He was in the hospital until almost the time school got out."

By that time, the child's eyes were closed. Draco stopped at the crib and gently laid little Caelum in it, drawing a light blanket over him and tucking a stuffed dragon beside him. As soon as his father's hands withdrew from the crib, the baby's eyes popped back open and he began to cry again.

Draco's shoulders slumped and his hand rubbed over his face.

"Let me take him," Luna offered.

He lifted the wailing child out of the crib. "Do you know anything about babies?"

She shrugged. "My mother used to watch the neighbor's children a lot. But of course that's been almost eight years ago. I've watched them a few times on my own during the summers."

Exhaustion won out, and he placed his son in her arms. She sat in the rocking chair and turned the child over face down, laying his face in the crook of her elbow and his body along her arm. She used her other hand to rub his back. Little Caelum's cries turned to whimpers. After a few minutes he let out a loud burp and then quieted.

Draco frowned. "I burped him after I fed him."

"Sometimes they get a bubble a little further down that doesn't come up easily." she turned the baby over to look at his face.

Caelum smiled at her, a gummy, two toothed smile, and cooed. Luna started rocking, and his eyes began to droop again.

There was a knock at the door, and Lucius came in.

"Oh good," he said, looking over at Luna rocking the baby, and then at his son. "Now we have a nursery maid, so you can get back to acting like a man instead of a house elf." He gestured at Draco. "Get dressed. We have a mission. We leave in an hour."

"I can't..." Draco began.

Lucius waved in dismissal. "That's what she's here for. To take care of the brat so you can fulfill your duties to the Dark Lord." he turned on his heel and left the room as quickly as he had come in.

Draco sighed, looking at Luna and Caelum, who appeared on his well way to falling asleep again. "Will you be all right here with him, for a few hours? My mother and the house elves are here if you need anything. He just ate, so he should be good for a few hours."

Luna nodded, so he proceeded to point out the location of various supplies she might need for the baby before he got back, and told her that the bathroom was off his bedroom, next door.

"It will be fine," she promised. "I'll ask for help with him if I need to."

"Rinka!" he called sharply.

There was a crack as a house elf appeared.

"Yes, Master Draco?"

"This is Miss Luna. She is going to help with the baby." Draco pointed. "I want you to look out for both of them, and help her with whatever she needs for Caelum while I'm gone."

"Yes, Master Draco," the elf's head bobbed up and down. "Rinka will help. Rinka loves Baby Master."

"Thank you, Rinka," Luna said softly, shifting Caelum around enough to get one hand free, which she extended to the elf. "It's lovely to meet you."

Draco dismissed the elf, and strode through the door into his bedroom to change.

Luna stopped rocking and studied her charge. He had a dusting of dark hair, but the facial structure unmistakably looked like his father. The gray eyes opened just slightly, and he looked at her with a definite pout, put out that she had stopped rocking him.

She smiled, starting to rock again. "You get that from him too, don't you?"

The door to Draco's room opened, and a fully cloaked and masked Death Eater strode in. Luna caught her breath and instinctively turned her body, shielding Caelum, until she realized the mask featured a carved dragon design.

Draco knelt next to the chair. Caelum looked up. His eyes widened and his bottom lip started to quiver.

The mask vanished instantly.

"No, Caelum, it's just Daddy." he whispered, leaning down to kiss the baby's cheek. "Be a good boy and I'll be back soon."

Caelum gave his daddy a smile before his eyelids fluttered closed again. Draco stood, looking at Luna for a long moment before stalking out the door without a word.


	4. Chapter 2

"Loony!" a voice shouted. "What the FUCK are you doing in my bed?"

The covers were yanked hard. Unfortunately, Luna was entangled in those covers and hit the floor with a distinct thud.

"Sleeping." She replied, blinking up into Draco's snarling face.

"You don't sleep in my bed!" he snapped.

A cry began from the next room. Draco rolled his eyes. "Fuck!" he hissed, shoving damp hair away from his face.

Luna followed him back into the nursery. "Where do I sleep?" she asked, yawning.

"I don't know, but not in my bed!" he said barely above a whisper, reaching to pick up his son.

Luna watched as he cradled the child against his shoulder. "Daddy is sorry. Go back to sleep, Caleum." He shushed. "When did he eat last?" Draco addressed Luna.

"Just before midnight." Luna looked toward the clock, but it was too dark to see. "What time is it now?"

"A little after two," he answered. "He should be fine a few more hours."

He rubbed Caelum's back. The cries turned to snuffles and then a sigh as the little body relaxed against his father, almost instinctively scooting into the opening of Draco's bathrobe.

"Do you wa…" As she spoke, Luna laid a hand on Draco's bare arm. He jumped back instantly, looking at her with venom in his eyes.

"Don't touch me!" he hissed.

Unfortunately, Caelum had been jostled in the process and gave a faint wail of protest.

"Shhhhh. It's okay, just go back to sleep." He crooned to the child.

"I'm sorry." Luna tilted her head. "I was just going to ask if you wanted me to lay him back down."

"I can take care of my son." He snapped at her. He held the baby a few more moments before finally laying him down in the crib. Caelum wriggled around briefly before apparently getting comfortable and going back to sleep.

Draco walked past Luna back into his bedroom. He would have shut the door in her face, but her hand caught it before he could.

He blew out is breath angrily. "This is not part of the deal. You take care of the baby. You stay … " he frowned at her. "Are you wearing my shirt?"

"Yes." She reached down to finger the cuff that was rolled up above her wrist. "I didn't want to get in your bed all dirty, so I took a bath. I didn't have any other clothes, so I had to find something to put on."

Several expressions flickered across his face too quickly to decipher. They finally stopped at a thoughtful expression.

"Well, thank you for that, I guess." Almost instantly his features turned hard again. "But let's get this straight. My father brought you out of the dungeon so you could help with Caelum. I'm not part of the deal. You're not going to get any kind of preferential treatment by fucking me, so don't even waste your time." he snorted. "Although if you're into that sort of thing, I could send some people your way." He reached to close the door again, but again she pushed against it.

"Draco, could I have a pillow and a blanket? I'll sleep on the floor in the nursery."

"Fine, but hurry up! I want to get some sleep some time tonight." he pulled the door open wider so suddenly that anyone else would have fallen.

Luna just took a step or two to recover, and even managed to look graceful while doing that. She crossed over to the bed while Draco began rummaging through a dresser drawer. She took one of the pillows from the bed and one of the blankets, and headed back toward the doorway.

"Not that pillow." he said, shutting the drawer with more force than necessary and moving on to the next one. "That one is mine. You can take a different one."

She peered at him curiously, but obediently swapped out pillows. "You have five pillows on your bed and they all look alike. I knew you were intuitive, to be able to tell them apart like that."

"Whatever." he huffed. He opened a third drawer and pulled out a pair of pajama pants.

She hesitated, as if to say something else.

"I know how to put these on." he glared at her. "There's no reason for you to stay and help."

"Good night, Draco." she said calmly, heading back into the nursery. "Pleasant dreams."

* * *

><p>The next morning, Draco's mother followed the house elf who came to bring Luna's breakfast. Luna was already up, having fed Caelum some cereal and his bottle and changed his nappie. She had placed him on the carpet with a few toys, one of which he was currently gnawing on. Draco had not been heard from yet, but it was still rather early.<p>

Narcissa Malfoy sat across from Luna and poured tea as if this was an expected social call.

"It appears you fared well in caring for Caelum." Mrs. Malfoy's eyes narrowed shrewdly at Luna over her teacup.

"He's a delightful child. He wasn't any trouble." the girl answered honestly, taking a bite of scone.

Mrs. Malfoy put her cup down. "Having you watch the baby was a spur of the moment decision last evening. The Dark Lord particularly wanted Draco on this mission, but Draco had his obligations to the child. The situation seems to have worked well. Would you be amenable to the idea of remaining above stairs as a caregiver for the child?"

Luna was frankly surprised for a moment. They were giving her a choice between babysitting and being a prisoner in a cellar?

"Yes, of course, Mrs. Malfoy." Luna smiled, trying to seem pleasant and malleable.

The older woman flicked her wand at Luna and murmured an enchantment too swiftly and softly to catch. "Now. I've placed a trace on you, so if you go down to the library or the kitchens and you're needed to help with Caelum, you can be located quickly. I'm sure that I do not have to tell you that my grandson is not, under any circumstances, to be left unattended. However, you may take a break from time to time when Draco is here. I would advise you not to venture out of the room more than necessary, and to limit your excursions to the kitchens and library, and possibly the west garden when the weather improves." Mrs. Malfoy paused for a moment, frowning. "There are a number of people, men especially, who are in and out of this house at all hours of the day and night. Draco and Lucius are the only two who will behave as gentlemen toward you." She gave Luna a significant look. "And Lucius may not if he thinks no one is around. I would especially encourage a young lady to avoid being alone with Mulciber." Luna nodded her understanding, trying to make her eyes look wider. "The grounds are warded so that only those who have the Dark Mark or have been specifically included into them may pass. The wards will only allow Draco or myself to take Caelum out of the house." Mrs. Malfoy sipped her tea daintily, giving a moment for everything to sink in. "You will of course be expected to conduct yourself with decorum and respect for the members of the household. Failure to do so will result in your being immediately returned to the dungeon. And if harm comes to one hair on that child's head, I can't begin to describe the horrors you will come to at Draco's hands."

Luna nodded solemnly. "Yes, ma'am." She was trapped in the house. But at least she was out of the dungeons. Now she just had to find a way to possibly help the ones who were still in the dungeon and wait to be rescued.

"Mrs. Malfoy," Luna said in her best sweet schoolgirl voice. "I am most sincerely grateful for this opportunity. I know I am not in a position to ask any further favors, but there are some matters that we do need to address."

The older woman tipped her head toward Luna. "Yes, dear? What sort of matters?"

"Well," Luna looked down at Draco's shirt, which she was still wearing. "I haven't any clothes other than the ones I've been wearing since I was brought here. They're rather ruined. And I suppose we should decide where I'm to sleep. I laid down in Draco's bed last night when he didn't come home. He wasn't happy about finding me there."

A brief look of sadness flickered across his mother's face. "I'm sure he wasn't. What happened?"

"He was rather angry. He dumped me in the floor, but his shouting woke Caelum, so he had to stop. He did let me have a pillow and blanket and I slept in here on the carpet." Luna looked up through her eyelashes at the older woman.

Mrs. Malfoy sighed. "I have raised that child with better manners. No, you shall not sleep on the floor." she looked around the room. "There is plenty of space in here. We'll rearrange the furniture, and bring in a bed for you. I do apologize, Miss Lovegood. My son..." the woman trailed off, looking toward the window as if at a loss for words.

"He's very different than when he was at Hogwarts." Luna finished for her.

"It's been a very difficult two years for him." Mrs. Malfoy nodded sadly. "There's no excuse for him taking out his anger on others, but unfortunately, he does on a regular basis. If he gets to be too much,..."

Luna shook her head. "I'm sure I can handle it."


	5. Chapter 3

The house elves came in later that morning to move the furniture around. One of them brought in a shrunken bed, setting it in a corner and casting a spell to return it to its normal size. They brought in a screen to set up around the bed so Luna could have a little privacy and found her several sets of clothing to wear.

Luna was laying in the floor reading to Caelum, who was chewing on his toe, when Draco finally woke up.

He walked in, took one look, and bellowed for the house elf.

"Rinka!" the creature appeared with a soft pop, already shaking all over before Draco addressed her. "What the fuck is that..." he pointed to the bed. "doing in here?"

"Miss Luna needed a bed, and Mistress Narcissa said to find one that wasn't being used. Dimpy brought this one." the house elf wrung her hands.

"I said I never wanted to see that bed again. That means, you make it go away, and stay gone. That does not mean you bring it back here for someone else to sleep on! We have enough fucking furniture in this house!" his face was flushed with rage.

The house elf pointed her finger at the bed and shrunk it down again. "Rinka will fix right away!"

She snatched up the fist sized bed and apparated out of the room with a pop.

Draco sat down on the floor next to his son, who immediately raised both arms and cooed at his father.

"Yes, I see the spoiled boy who wants to be picked up." Draco smiled at Caelum, hoisting the child into his lap. Caelum grabbed Draco's finger and put it into his mouth, biting down hard.

"OW! What was that for?" Draco snatched his hand away. The baby laughed, grabbing at Draco's hand again.

"I think he's getting a new tooth. He's been chewing on anything he could get in his mouth last night and this morning." Luna said idly, flipping another page of the book.

"It's about time." his father muttered, trying to see into the child's mouth.

Rinka returned with a shrunken bed. "Is this bed fine, Master Draco?"

He nodded, the smile gone from his face. "Whatever. Just not the other one."

Over the next few days, Voldemort apparently decided to take advantage of Luna's presence, because he called for Draco frequently. She was left in charge of Caelum while he was gone, but when he was around, Draco stayed in the nursery as much as possible. He mostly wanted to care for his son himself. Luna was all but chased from the room several times. She tried to ask about Caelum's health issues, but Draco flatly told her that the baby was fine and it was none of her business.

Caelum appeared blissfully oblivious to the tension among the adults. He smiled and cooed at both Draco and Luna, and as predicted, cut his bottom right tooth.

* * *

><p>Luna awoke to what was becoming a familiar sound - Draco in the throes of a nightmare.<p>

She opened his door and walked silently to the side of his bed. He was thrashing about, begging someone not to do this, his hair damp with sweat despite the coolness of the room.

She sat on the edge of the bed and shook his arm gently.

"Draco, wake up."

He suddenly sat bolt upright and snatched his arm away as if he had been burned.

"What the hell are you doing?" he snarled, looking at her hand still hanging in midair, and then her face.

"You were having a nightmare."

He stared at her, chest heaving, eyes wild, until the two of them heard a thin wail begin from the next room. Still watching her, he shoved himself off the far side of the bed, and stormed to the crib, Luna close behind him.

He reached down and lifted Caelum against his chest, murmuring softly. The baby quieted within moments. Luna reached out, ready to take the child and put him back to bed. Instead, Draco turned on his heel, went back into his room, and closed the door, still holding his son.

She waited half an hour before she opened the door. Draco and Caelum were curled up together in the middle of the king sized bed, fast asleep.


	6. Chapter 4

Draco came into the nursery late one afternoon and threw a dress at Luna.

"Get dressed. There are thirteen for dinner so my mother wants you to come down." he headed into his room, but Luna stopped him.

"What are you talking about?" she looked from the dress in her hands to him.

"There are thirteen people here for dinner tonight. Purebloods are very superstitious. Supposedly when there are thirteen for dinner, the first person to leave the table will die. My mother instructed for you to eat dinner with us so there will be fourteen." He spoke as if he was explaining physics to a small child.

She tilted her head. "You really believe these things?"

"A few weeks ago there were thirteen for dinner. It was insane, no one wanted to leave the table. We sat there for like three hours until finally Maypenny had to go to the loo. He got killed the next day." He shrugged. "Whether it's true or not, I don't want to sit at the table all night."

She looked at him seriously. "Will Voldemort be there?"

He snorted. "The Dark Lord, Auntie Bella, Rod and Rab, the whole inner sanctum. I offered to eat in the kitchen so they would only have twelve, but my mother refused." he looked at her and something softened in his face. "They won't bother you at the table. And I'll get you straight down there and back up here."

She nodded, not that she could really do anything else. Draco left her to change in the nursery, while he went to his room to get dressed.

He returned twenty minutes later, in his black dress robes. Luna sat on her bed, with her hand pressed against her chest.

"Small problem." she informed him. "The dress is too big."

He squinted at her. "Stand up."

She rose to her feet, holding the gown up. He flicked his wand, drawing in the bodice and waist and shortening the length.

"Much better." he nodded. "That's one of my mother's dresses. Bella is probably closer to your size, but you were absolutely not going to wear anything of hers." He smiled shyly at her. "I've never seen you with your hair up."

"Thank you, Draco." she flushed faintly in response to his unspoken compliment.

Rinka was already there to sit with Caelum, so he opened the door and led her down the stairs.

"Whatever happens," he cautioned. "keep your mouth shut and try not to show a reaction."

They made their way to the dining room, where most of the group was already assembled. Draco indicated for Luna to sit between him and Narcissa.

"Not well done of you, Draco." A man grumbled from the other side of Draco. He was one of the Death Eaters from the Ministry _that_ night, but Luna didn't know his name. "The lady should sit to the right of the gentleman."

Draco gave him a withering look. "There aren't any gentlemen here."

He laughed and clapped Draco on the shoulder, turning to speak to Rabastan. Most of the group already seated talked amongst themselves, waiting for the others to arrive.

Luna had to clamp her mouth shut to keep from making a sound when Professor Snape came into the room. His glance flickered to her for a moment, then bored into Draco's eyes. Draco stared back at him, and Luna could almost swear they were communicating without speaking aloud. Draco's expression changed ever so slightly to one of anger or hostility. Snape's head tilted slightly. Draco nodded almost imperceptibly, and Snape walked further down the table to take his seat.

Voldemort finally came into the room, with Bellatrix trailing him like a devoted puppy. They took their seats at the head of the table, and the house elves began serving.

"Severus," Voldemort addressed. "Have you located Potter and his friends?"

"My Lord," Snape dipped his head before continuing. "Not at this time. But the resistance at Hogwarts is crumbling. The Weasley family has gone into hiding. I am certain that it is only a matter of time before Potter returns, with no one left to shelter him."

Luna felt Draco's hand on her arm. She looked at him, and he gave her a warning look before releasing her arm. She looked at her plate.

"Miss Lovegood," Luna's head jerked up, eyes wide. "It has not escaped my notice that you have joined us this evening." Voldemort pressed his index fingers together to make a triangle as he studied her.

She sneaked a glance at Draco, who nodded at her. "It was most kind of Mrs. Malfoy to invite me." she looked over at her hostess and smiled.

"Tell me dear," he smirked. "Are you uncomfortable dining with a bunch of Death Eaters?"

"I have learned that you can learn from nearly everyone you encounter, if you only approach the situation with an open mind." Luna answered evenly.

"Spoken like a true Ravenclaw." Voldemort sneered. He then turned and began asking Bellatrix about the planned raid the next day.

Dinner was finished, and the group began to drift toward the drawing room for drinks.

"Come on," Draco hissed, just barely touching the small of her back to guide her toward the stairs.

"Young Malfoy!" a voice called from behind them.

"Keep moving," Draco urged.

"In a hurry to get that beautiful young lady back upstairs?" Someone made a catcall. "Do I need to explain the facts of life before you fill the nursery up?" Several people laughed.

"Maybe I'll come upstairs later and we'll share!" the voice continued.

"Mulciber," Snape drawled. "It may befit you to remember that Draco is the Dark Lord's chosen. It would not be prudent to meddle in his relationship with Miss Lovegood, whatever that relationship may be."

They made it back to the nursery. Draco practically shoved Luna inside before locking and warding the door. Rinka handed Caelum over to Draco, while Luna grabbed her clothes and went into the bathroom to change out of Narcissa's dress.

Twenty minutes later, Luna was watching Draco as he played with his son, when there was a knock on the door. He handed Caelum to her, crossed the room, and opened the door, wand drawn. Lucius stepped inside.

"Get dressed. You're going on the raid tonight." he barely glanced Luna's direction before leaving.

Draco closed the door and reapplied the wards. He crossed over to his door, shaking his head. He went into his room, only to emerge a few minutes later.

"Here," he said, laying a knife on the table beside Luna. "I can't give you a wand, but no one said I had to leave you here unprotected. If anyone other than my mother, Snape, or me comes in that door, do what you have to do to defend yourself and Caelum."

He turned to walk away.

"Draco," she called after him. He turned.

"I can trust Professor Snape?" she asked softly.

He hesitated a moment before answering. "Probably. But I'll leave that to your judgement."

"He told you something using legilimens." She looked him with curiousity, as though studying something.

Draco nodded. "He reminded me that keeping you safe was in my son's best interest."

He walked back toward his bedroom.

Luna's voice stopped him with his hand on the doorknob. "There was something more than that."

He looked back over his shoulder and shrugged. "Yeah."

He went through the door and closed it behind him.


	7. Chapter 5

Draco came home late that night and made his way straight to the nursery to check on Caelum and Luna.

"Did anyone come on here while I was gone?" he asked, crossing to the crib with a side glance at Luna.

"No, we just had a quiet evening. I told Caelum about blibbering humdingers, gave him his bath, and put him to bed." She stopped several feet from Draco, whose hair was stained with soot.

He smiled of fire and destruction and things Luna didn't want to think about.

"Good." he reached to touch his son, but drew his hand back when he realized how filthy it was.

"Draco, thank you for earlier." she said softly. She reached out to touch his arm, but he pulled away.

"For what?" he scoffed. "For taking you to dinner with a bunch of Death Eaters and reminding the lecherous old men that there's a pretty girl up here?"

"No, for being my friend. It's been a long time since I've been with a friend and I miss it." she tilted her head at him. "I think it's been a long time since you've had a friend, too."

He rolled his eyes. "I don't think I've ever had a real friend."

She looked at him sadly. "I'm so sorry, Draco. I will be your friend."

"Who said I need a friend?" he spat and stomped into his room.

* * *

><p>Draco woke to the sound of his door opening. His mother wondered why he didn't get one of the house elves to fix the squeek. He grabbed his wand from under his pillow and was on his feet, ready to hex the intruder before the door finished opening.<p>

Luna didn't appear perturbed in the slightest to be facing down his wand.

"Draco, I'm sorry to wake you, since you got in late last night. I think Caelum is sick."

She had barely finished speaking the words when Draco shoved past her into the nursery. He already had the child in his arms, checking him over, by the time Luna reached the crib.

"He seems to have a bit of fever and I think he's kind of stuffy. It's probably just a cold..." she tried to reassure, but Draco handed the baby back to her and started giving instructions.

"Go give him a bath in warm water, not hot. Don't let him get chilled, but see if you can bring the fever down. Rinka!" the house elf appeared immediately. "We need some of the oil for Caelum's lungs." the elf nodded and disappeared again. "I'll go call his healer." He was out the hall door in a flash.

He came into the bathroom a few minutes later to oversee the bath.

Luna looked up with a small smile. "It may just be me, but he seems to be a little cooler."

Draco reached over, laying his hand on the baby's bare chest. "Yeah, I think the fever's come down a little. The healer will be here within the hour." He grabbed the cup from the sink and began to pour water over the baby's body.

"You have a healer that comes to the house?" Luna looked up at him with a creased brow.

"Yeah," Draco said softly, smiling just a hint as the baby grabbed his hand. "With all the problems he's had, he needs a healer that's familiar with his history. We couldn't take a chance on whoever comes up in rotation at St Mungos not knowing how to treat him. So I have a healer on retainer."

"You love him very much." Luna pronounced, looking from the son to the father.

Draco frowned, but whatever he was going to say was interrupted by Rinka's return. He instructed Luna to drain the water, while he took the baby and dried him. He took Caelum into the nursery, expertly dropping the side of the crib with one hand, and laid the baby on the mattress. Once a clean nappy was applied, Rinka handed Draco a small bottle. Luna stood at Draco's elbow to watch.

He poured some pungent oil into his hand, rubbing them together for a moment before rubbing the oil into the baby's chest. Caelum frowned. "Yes, I know, it's the smelly stuff Uncle Sev makes for you. But it will make you feel better." He flipped the child over to rub some onto his back. Rinka handed him a small towel, which he used to wipe his hands, before he wrapped Caelum up in a blanket and settled into the rocking chair with him.

Luna wrinkled her nose. "Eucalyptus, mint, lavender, and something else."

"Rosemary." Draco nodded. "It helps open up his lungs so he can breathe better."

There was a knock at the door, and Mrs. Malfoy led the healer in. Draco stood, returning Caelum to the crib so the healer could examine him, but didn't leave the child's side. Narcissa and Luna stood a respectable distance away, with Mrs. Malfoy instructing Rinka to get a breakfast tray.

"Poor mite has an upper respiratory infection." the healer announced. "You've caught it very early, so hopefully we can head it off before it gets really bad. I'll give him an antibiotic potion, but you'll have to watch that it doesn't upset his tummy too much." he looked over at Draco. "You know the routine. Keep him warm and hydrated. A little licorice or peppermint tea here and there. Use the oil, and steam if he gets too stuffy or coughs much." Draco nodded, Caelum already cradled against his chest again. "I'll check back on him tomorrow, but call me if he worsens in the meantime."

He nodded to the ladies, and allowed Mrs. Malfoy to lead him back to the stairs. Draco sat back in the rocking chair.

"You've been through this before." Luna said softly, sitting down on the floor to face him.

"Yeah," Draco answered softly, laying his cheek against the top of his son's head. The baby, who had been snuffling and wriggling, settled against his father with a loud huff. "With being born with underdeveloped lungs, he's susceptible to respiratory illnesses. And we have to stay on top of them, because what would be a cold for me could be fatal for him."

"Is Professor Snape his godfather?" she asked.

Draco frowned as if in thought. "I never named anyone as his godparents. I guess Uncle Sev would be the closest thing to one. He's my godfather, you know." Luna's eyes widened, as obviously, she hadn't know that. "Although, what he would actually do with a child if he was responsible for one..."

Luna giggled. "Would be interesting to say the least."

Rinka came in with a tray of tea, toast, bacon, fruit, and poached eggs. She took the baby, feeding him a bottle of what was apparently the licorice tea judging from the smell, urging Draco and Luna to eat. Draco made a sandwich of toast and bacon and gobbled it down. He went to his room to "take care of things" as he politely put it. Luna ate sparingly, finishing as Draco returned to the room, still shirtless. He took his son back from Rinka. Caelum apparently had as much of the bottle as he was going to drink, as he kept spitting out the nipple.

"I know. When you're sick, you're not hungry. You can have a little more later." Draco murmured. "Leave the bottle." he told Rinka. "But you can take the tray if Luna is done."

Luna looked at the elf and then at Draco. "Rinka, is all this leftover food just going to be thrown away?"

The elf bobbed her head. "Yes Missy Luna. Master Lucius does not like to eat warmed over food."

"Then why don't you take it down to Mr. Ollivander and Dean? I mean, since it's rubbish anyway." she continued to stare at Draco.

The elf hesitated, looking to her master, who was staring back at Luna.

Finally, Draco sighed. "Fine, take it to the dungeon. Since no one else is going to eat it anyway."


	8. Chapter 6

"Draco," she finally spoke nearly an hour later. "I can hold him so you can go put on a shirt."

He laughed mirthlessly. "Why? Is the sight of me half naked that offensive? Or am I turning you on, sitting here holding a sick baby?"

She regarded him curiously. "I only meant that it wouldn't do for you to get sick as well."

"Oh." His attitude vanished when she didn't respond to his taunts. "I do it for him. Holding him against my bare chest relaxes him and helps stabilize his body temperature. We found it out by accident when he was in the hospital. When he was a few days old, they said he was dying. His breathing was ragged, they couldn't keep him warm, and his heart rate was erratic. His mother wouldn't come. She didn't want anything to do with him, since he wasn't healthy. Someone should be with him, you now, because he was just a baby. So I came to hold him when he died. He was shivering even wrapped up in a blanket, so I opened up my shirt and put him against my chest to keep him warm. The next thing you know, his breathing evened out and he warmed up. The healer came over and checked him and said that was the most stable they had seen him. So I stayed a few hours until we were sure he was stable, and then when I left, he got worse again. The healer owled me the next day, said they had done some checking, and found out that sort of thing is actually done at muggle hospitals with very sick babies. The parents hold them against bare skin for a couple hours a day, and the babies get better faster. Being held by someone instead of just laying in the crib all the time helps them. So I went every night for a week and held him. Then one night I was busy and didn't go. They said he pitched a tantrum, cried all night, wouldn't eat, and kicked the healer's assistant when she tried to pick him up. So I knew he was my child and I had to keep him." Draco looked down at his son with amusement.

Unfortunately, Caelum got worse before he got better. By lunch time, he had begun to cough, and was whiny and restless. Rinka brought in a pot of water, charmed to stay at a boiling temperature, so that it gave off camphor scented steam. Draco still stubbornly held his son, refusing to let Luna help. Finally, in the mid-afternoon, Mrs. Malfoy came in to check on her grandson.

"Draco, dear, you're dead on your feet. Let Luna take the baby for a while and you go get some rest." She brushed her son's hair from his face.

"I'm fine!" he huffed. "Caelum needs ..."

"You need some rest." she interrupted. "Especially since the Dark Lord is talking about a raid tonight."

"I can't go." he glared at her. "My son is sick."

Narcissa rolled her eyes, looking like her son. "Being a Death Eater is not a position that allows you to call out sick. He's called you to go on every raid since Luna has been here. I don't foresee that he's going to take kindly if you refuse to go." she folded her arms at him. "You know I'm right. Luna is here, and she's capable of taking care of him for a few hours. Rinka and I are here if she needs help."

He sighed and nodded, allowing Luna to take Caelum, while he went to his room.

* * *

><p>"... not, would not, on a boat.<br>I will not, will not, with a goat.  
>I will not eat them in the rain.<br>I will not eat them on a train.  
>Not in the dark! Not in a tree!<br>Not in a car! You let me be!  
>I do not like them in a box.<br>I do not like them with a fox.  
>I will not eat them in a house.<br>I do not like them with..."

"Luna, what the hell are you telling my child?" Draco grumbled sleepily, flopping into the arm chair.

"It's a poem called Green Eggs and Ham, by Dr. Seuss." Luna smiled. "Are you feeling better?"

"What kind of eggs are green?" he frowned.

"Niffler eggs, of course. Not that you'd want to eat them. But the story doesn't tell what kind of creatures are discussing the green eggs and ham, so we don't know whether _they_ would eat them or not." Luna tilted her head at him.

"Rinka!" the house elf appeared. "I need tea. Or coffee. Or something." he turned back to Luna. "With a name like Dr Seuss, he was obviously a muggle."

"Actually, that was just his pen name. His real name was Theodor Giesel. His grandfather was headmaster of Durmstrang. And he documented dozens of creatures that had never before been heard of." she turned back to the baby. "Oh, where were we? I know.

I will not eat them in a house.  
>I do not like them with a mouse.<br>I do not like them here or there.  
>I do not like them ANYWHERE!<p>

I do not like green eggs and ham!

I do not like them, Sam-I-am."

Caelum gurgled in response.

Rinka returned with a cup of coffee and a cup of tea. Draco took the coffee, but instructed her to place the tea on the table for him.

Luna finished reciting the poem to Caelum, who at least seemed distracted by her sing song voice.

Draco waited until she was finished. "How is his temperature?"

She reached over and laid a hand on the back of the baby's face. "It seems to be normal, at least for now."

Caelum turned his head at the sound of his father's voice, holding up his arms and opening and closing his hands.

Draco smiled, climbing down in the floor to sit beside Luna and his son. "You are so rotten." he informed the child, who responded by making an impatient noise and poking out his bottom lip.

Draco picked the baby up and held him against his chest.

Caelum promptly went to sleep.

"You know, everyone is back at Hogwarts now." Luna said, looking out the window. "I wonder what they're doing."

Draco rolled his eyes. "The same things they always do. Complain about homework, practice quidditch, sneak out after curfew."

"You don't know how things are this year, do you?" she tilted her head at him. "Have you kept in touch with anyone at school?"

His eyes turned dark. "Not really. I hear from Crabbe and Goyle once in a while. They don't have anything interesting to say, other than to tell me that they've been tormenting first year Gryffindors, or some such rubbish."

Luna looked him seriously. "They really are torturing first years. The new DADA teacher allows them to use Unforgivables on other students."

"Seriously?" he looked at her doubtfully.

"Things are not like they were last year." she pulled her knees up against her chest and wrapped her arms around them.

There was a soft knock, and Mrs. Malfoy came in.

"I told you," Narcissa shrugged. "You've been called to go tonight."

He rattled off an impressive string of curses in three languages.

"Just wait until Caelum learns to repeat that." Draco's mother gave him a look. "Be down in ten minutes."

Draco stood, placing Caelum in the crib, and shoved his hands through his hair angrily. "He's probably going to get worse when the sun goes down. He always does. But as you heard, staying here with him is not an option."

She reached for his arm, but as always, he snatched it away.

"It's fine." she reassured. "Your mother and Rinka are here. We'll take care of him until you get back."

He sighed and nodded, turning to go to his room and get dressed.

* * *

><p>"Luna."<p>

She shook herself awake to find that she had dozed off in the rocking chair and Draco was standing over her. His hair, as usual, was stained with soot, and there were flecks of blood on his cloak.

She looked up at his face. "Are you hurt?"

He frowned in confusion "No, why?"

"That." she gestured at the red stains.

He sighed and shook his head. "Go to bed. You're going to be stiff in the morning if you sleep in the chair."

She stood and Draco realized that her shirt was mostly unbuttoned, with Caelum inside it, against her skin. He flushed slightly.

"Oh, right." she didn't seem embarassed in the least. "He was rather restless earlier. The only way I could get him calmed was to hold him against my chest like you do."

"I saw my mother downstairs. She said it was a rough evening." there was a touch of a hard edge to his voice.

"It's to be expected. He doesn't feel well, and it makes him cranky." Luna extricated the baby from her shirt, placing him in the crib. She and Draco both held their breath for a moment as the child squirmed around on the mattress for a moment before settling.

Draco turned and started for his room, almost stomping. Again, Luna's voice stopped him before he reached the door.

"Draco."

He looked over his shoulder. She motioned at the door, so he cast a silencing spell.

"Why don't you take Caelum and leave?"

"Because Death Eaters don't leave. Especially when the Dark Lord has chosen you for his right hand man in training. They won't just kill me, but Caelum and my mother too." the anger and bitterness in his voice even surprised him.

"Harry and his friends would protect you. All of you." she insisted softly.

He snorted. "No one could protect us enough."

He continued toward his room, but Luna had one more thing to say.

"I'm just here to help take care of him for now. I'm not going to replace you in caring for your son."

Draco shut the door a little harder than necessary.

* * *

><p>AN 1 - What Draco describes, holding a baby against bare skin, is called kangaroo care and it's actually widely used, especially with preemies.

A/N 2 - The book Green Eggs and Ham was the result of a bet between Dr Seuss and his editor as to whether a book could be written that had only 50 different words. It contains exactly 50 words, repeated various numbers of times. Just your useless knowledge for the day.


	9. Chapter 7

Caelum was better the next day, not coughing as much and less feverish, but still fussy. He spent most of the day on Draco's chest.

Mrs. Malfoy joined them for lunch in the nursery, bluntly informing her son "I came to make sure you eat." There were two vials of PepperUp potion on the lunch tray. "Luna dear, put these somewhere in the nursery for whenever they were needed." She turned back to Draco, flicking a silencing charm at the door. "The Dark Lord asked about the healer coming to see Caelum. I told him that Luna and I had felt a little under the weather as well. Something is probably going around. Rabastan, you know how he can never be left out, piped up and said he had been feeling porly as well." She looked at them with narrowed eyes. "You've got to be careful."

Draco sighed and nodded, but didn't say anything.

They continued with lunch, making small talk about the garden and the upcoming spring cleaning.

Narcissa stopped eating and frowned at Luna curiously.

Luna tilted her head. "Do I have sauce on my nose again?"

"No," Mrs. Malfoy shook her head. "Your occlumency abilities are amazing."

"Oh, that was you?" Luna took another bite of her sandwich and shrugged. "I'm used to trying to keep the wrackspurts out. They make your head all fuzzy."

Narcissa looked at Draco. "I couldn't see anything at all. I feel much better about her being here."

He nodded and took a sip of his tea, still not speaking.

Caelum started to stir from his nap, so Mrs. Malfoy got him up, changed him, and held him for a moment before handing him to Luna with a glare at her son. "Let her help."

She then kissed both her son and grandson's cheeks, smiled at Luna, and excused herself.

After she left, Luna turned to Draco. "What did she mean about being careful?"

Draco scowled at her. "Nothing. Just let it go."

Luna drew her eyebrows in. "If I should be careful of something, I really should know what it is that I am to be careful of."

He stood over her menacingly, hands on his hips. "You're in a house full of Death Eaters. If someone tells you to leave something alone, pushing the issue could get you killed."

Her brow wrinkled even further. "But what if not being careful got me killed?"

"Just forget it, Luna." he sighed.

Caelum chose that moment to let the adults know he was not happy. Draco picked him up and held the baby to his chest, but two little hands shoved against him. He put Caelum back in the crib, and offered him a bottle. The baby turned his head and continued to cry. Draco then tried to put a blanket over him. Caelum kicked the covers off, twisting his face into an expression of anger, and his crying was interrupted by a shriek.

Draco dropped the blanket, took two steps backwards, his eyes wide in horror, and bolted to his room.

"Rinka!" Luna called in a loud whisper. The little elf appeared with a pop. "Could you watch Caelum for a minute?"

Rinka nodded. "Yes, Missy Luna."

She picked up the baby, and as an afterthought, grabbed his toy dragon. Caelum stopped crying, grabbed the dragon, hugged it, and began sucking on its nose. Luna shook her head and walked into Draco's room cautiously.

She wasn't sure what she expected, but she found him crouched on the floor in the corner farthest from the door, shaking.

"Draco." she spoke softly and approached him slowly, as one would a frightened animal. He didn't react until she was almost on him. He tipped his head up, a terrified look on his face.

"I won't hurt you." she reassured softly. "What can I do to help you?"

He looked back down at the floor, not saying anything, but neither did he protest when Luna sat down on the floor beside him.

"Rinka has Caelum. He's fine. He's not crying now." Luna rattled on calmly in her singsong voice. "She figured out what he wanted. It was his dragon. I think he'll probably settle and go back to sleep now."

Draco twisted around until he was sitting beside her, his knees to his chest and his arms around them. He stared at the floor in front of his feet and mumbled. "He reminded me of her."

Luna tilted her head at him. "That's probably going to happen sometimes. He looks a lot like you, but there will always be some of his mother in him."

Draco didn't look at her, or even look up. "It made me think of ... things that happened. It was like it was happening all over again."

"Muggles call it flashbacks when that happens. It can happen after a traumatic event or time in your life. And I've heard that exposure to the cruciatus curse can make it worse." she looked at him sadly, not that he looked at her to see it.

He nodded.

"I'll stay with you if you want." She offered.

He still didn't say anything, so she didn't move. They sat for a while before he finally spoke.

"I was thinking about things earlier. You know, when my mother was up here. That's probably why I had that happen." He still stared at the floor.

Luna nodded. "Probably. Has it happened before?"

"Yeah, but it's been a while." He sighed. "I just want to forget all of that ever happened, but I never can."

"You can't keep it all bottled up inside. You have to find a way to let the pain out. Like when my mother died." She trailed off, and finally, he looked over at her. "I'll always miss my mom, but a time finally came that I could think about her and it didn't hurt."

He looked back at the floor. "What if I keep having these episodes? What if he looks more like her when he gets older? What if I can't take care of my son?"

She reached over and squeezed his hand. "I'm here. I'll help you."

He looked at her hand on his, but for the first time, he didn't pull away. "You won't be here forever."

"I'm here now." She squeezed his hand. "We'll worry about later when that comes."


	10. Chapter 8

By the next morning, Caelum was considerably better. He had slept most of the night, the fever was almost gone, and his coughing fits were few and far apart. He was smiling and laughing as Draco and Luna played with him.

"Draco," Luna said after breakfast. "I've been thinking. What happened yesterday was because Caelum was frustrated that we didn't understand what he wanted..."

"He's not going to learn to talk, Luna." Draco growled. "I mean, not any time soon." he amended when she looked at him curiously.

"Yes, but he does this when he wants you to pick him up." she held her arms out, opening and closing her hands as the baby did. "Maybe we can teach him some other signs to let us know what he wants."

Draco looked at Caelum and then at her. "Do you think that will work?"

"Caelum," the baby turned his head toward Luna. "Do you want a drink?" She held her curved hand near her mouth and tipped it like she was drinking from a cup. She repeated the motion several times. Caelum giggled and eventually repeated the sign. Luna handed him a bottle and both she and Draco praised the child like he had just won an Order of Merlin. He threw the bottle down and repeated the sign. Draco handed the bottle back to him. Caelum took a sip and then tried to stick the bottle in Luna's mouth.

She shook her head and said "No."

Caelum turned his head from side to side and laughed. He threw the bottle down again and repeated the sign. Luna handed it back to him.

Draco grinned at Luna. "He gets it." He pulled his son onto his lap.

Luna picked up the toy dragon and tickled the baby's tummy with it, making growling noises. Caelum squealed and grabbed at the dragon. Luna pulled the dragon away. Caelum wrapped his arms around himself like he was hugging something and tilted his head to one side. Luna repeated the gesture back at him.

"Does that mean you want your dragon?" Luna asked.

Caelum repeated the sign. Luna held out the dragon to him. He grabbed it, hugging it with his head tipped against the top of the dragon's head as he had mimicked.

"What if I want the dragon?" Luna repeated the sign.

Caelum laughed and pushed the dragon at her.

"You're a good boy to share." Draco kissed the top of the baby's head as Luna handed the dragon back.

There was a knock at the hallway door. Two raps, a pause, two more, another pause, and then three.

Draco shoved Caelum into Luna's arms, pointed at his bedroom, and jumped to his feet, wand ready. Luna scrambled to the other room, and Draco waited until the door closed before answering the other door.

"Draco, my sweet," Bellatrix cooed. "How is the baby?"

"Fine." Draco blocked the doorway so she couldn't come in. "Don't tell me you actually want to see him."

She smirked. "I came to fetch you for the Dark Lord. He wants to see you."

He sighed, stepping into the hall and closing the door behind him.

"How is the blood traitor doing with the child?" Bellarix asked. "She's not feeding him any of that everyone being equal tripe, is she?"

He gave her an annoyed look. "No, not that Caelum would understand any of it anyway. She tells him nursery rhymes and stories about animals. She's been really good with him. He's really taken to her. You know, since it's not like he has a mother."

Bella's eyes lit up. "Tell me, then. Is he catching up with other children? Does he show signs of intelligence?"

Draco glared at her. "He's catching up, slowly. The healers said it could take a few years, since he was so sick when he was born. But he's very intelligent. He's made up signals to tell us what he wants since he can't talk well enough to tell us."

"This is perfect, Draco." she looked up at him as they walked side by side down the corridor. "We can raise the next generation of the Dark Lord's followers to be loyal from the cradle. The blood traitor can take of him until he's old enough. Then we can start teaching him magic as soon as he can walk and talk." A deviously radiant smirk spread across her face. "Maybe one or two more."

Draco stopped walking. "You are out of your fucking mind! I am not having another child with you!"

Bellatrix shook her head, grasping a handful of the front of his robes. "Not me. _Her._ You said the blood traitor likes babies. Give her a couple of her own. We'll raise them to be the next generation of the Dark Lord's officers. And I won't have to be sidelined for nine months again."

"Leave me the fuck alone." he growled, yanking away from her and stomping down the hall angrily. "Why should I go breeding babies for _you_ to present to the Dark Lord?"

Draco found himself pinned against the wall a heartbeat later.

"Because," Bellatrix cupped his cheek in one hand. "It's a good plan and you know it. Maybe you're not as loyal to the Dark Lord as you would have everyone believe." She began to trail her hand down his chest. "You know, I can put two people at once under the imperius curse." She leaned in closer. "I'll be glad to watch to make sure the deed is done." Her hand slipped past his waist and began to stroke him through his pants. "But she's so plain and dull. I'm sure she won't please you like I do. Maybe I'll just have to take care of that while she watches." She stood on her tiptoes to gently kiss his lips.

Draco broke the spell with a sound close to a roar, shoving his aunt against the far wall.

"You are one sick fucking bitch." he snarled.

As he turned toward the drawing room, he caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye of his mother coming toward them, wand drawn. He wondered how much of that she had seen and heard.

"Draco," the Dark Lord addressed him as soon as he came into the room. "How is the child?"

Draco dropped to his knee in reverence. "He is recovering well, my lord."

Voldemort held out his hand, the sign for Draco to rise. "A routine childhood illness, then?"

"Yes, my lord." Draco nodded. "But I did call the healer to make certain. The child must be healthy to be your servant when he is older."

"Ah," Voldemort looked over his folded hands. "The child's health is recovering then?"

"Yes, my lord. He shows signs of great intelligence. Although he is still behind for his age physically, he is catching up. Perhaps if his mother had taken better care of herself, he would have been ahead of other children his age."

A voice behind him muttered "Wanker."

Draco hid his smirk, knowing that his message had been received.

"And Miss Lovegood? How is she doing with the child?" Voldemort looked over Draco's shoulder.

"Very well, my lord. She knows her place, and has been caring for the child in accordance to our wishes." Draco met Voldemort's eyes as they turned back to him.

He had just enough time to shield the same parts of his mind he always did, careful to show Voldemort the scene this morning of Caelum laughing and communicating with signs. He was so focused on making sure Voldemort saw that he was unaware until it was too late that he had left the scene with Bellatrix in the hallway exposed for Voldemort to see.

"How very interesting that concept is." Voldemort looked over his shoulder at Bellatrix again. "And how very bright your son does appear to be, Draco. Not that I would expect any less, of course, given your outstanding marks at Hogwarts." He looked around. "Narcissa, would you have that house elf fetch Miss Lovegood for me? I would like a word with her as well."

Draco clenched his jaw, waiting for Rinka to bring Luna.

"Good day, Lord Voldemort." she walked up to stand beside Draco as if that were her natural place.

"Miss Lovegood," the Dark Lord nodded. "You look quite well. I trust you have recovered from your illness?"

Luna looked over her shoulder and smiled at Narcissa. "Mrs. Malfoy was kind enough to bring some PepperUp potion to the nursery yesterday. I'm feeling quite like myself today."

Draco felt a grudging admiration for the girl beside him. She hadn't lied to the Dark Lord, but she hadn't contradicted Narcissa's story either. He knew what was coming next, but he had no way to warn her. He could only hope that his mother was right about Luna's occlumency skills.

Voldemort stared at her for a full minute. "Extraordinary." he said finally. "If I didn't know you were a Ravenclaw, I would swear there was nothing going on in your head at all. Who taught you occlumency, Miss Lovegood?"

"I taught myself." She answered.

"You must have an outstanding natural proclivity to be able to teach yourself so effectively." The Dark Lord turned his attention back to Draco. "This would be a great talent for my inner circle to have. Perhaps the plan discussed earlier does have some merit."

Draco forced himself to stay calm and show no reaction.

"We'll give the matter further consideration, but not at the moment. We have other plans to discuss at the present. Draco, escort Miss Lovegood back to the nursery, and then return to me. We shall have a luncheon meeting."

Draco led Luna back up to the nursery, cautioning her to keep the door locked, keep Rinka with her, and not to let anyone in other than him or his mother.

Narcissa excused herself to see to the luncheon preparations in the kitchen. She grabbed the nearest house elf and asked for parchment and a quill. She hastily scrawled a note and handed it to the elf.

"Take this to Severus Snape at Hogwarts. He should give you a potion to bring back. If not, he will tell you when he will have it ready. Make sure you return for it the moment it's finished."

"Rinka," Luna said to the little elf. "When Master Draco returns, I want you to take whatever food is left over from lunch to the dungeon."

Rinka looked like she might protest for a moment, but Luna reminded her "Master Draco said you could take the food to the prisoners that no one was going to eat."

Draco returned to the nursery after lunch. Caelum was asleep. Luna nodded to Rinka, who left with a fearful look at Draco.

He didn't notice, as he was busy silencing the door.

"Do you have any way to get in touch with Potter?" he whispered urgently.

"No," she told him. "I know how to contact the Order and the DA, but not Harry himself."

"Where the fuck is he?" Draco growled.

"No one knows. He's gone on some sort of task Dumbledore gave him." Luna tilted her head.

"I thought his fucking task was to kill the Dark Lord."

"I'm sure whatever he's doing must be related." Luna frowned.

"He needs to hurry up. Because he's the only one who can bring the Dark Lord down, and that's the only chance we have to get out of this." He stomped over to stare out the window.

"Get out of what, Draco?" she asked.

He just looked down at the garden below and never answered her.


	11. Chapter 9

Draco had closed himself off after returning from his meeting with Voldemort. He barely spoke the rest of the day, and even Caelum could barely elicit a reaction from him.

Luna wasn't surprised when the shouting began just before midnight.

"Bellatrix! Let me go! NO! I fucking hate you!"

Luna called Rinka in a loud whisper, having the elf to put a silencing charm around the crib before he woke the baby, and to stay with Caelum while she went to Draco's room.

He was thrashing on the bed, the pillows flung onto the floor and the covers shoved off to one side. His wand lay in the middle of the bed, and Luna was puzzled for a moment until she realized he had probably been sleeping with it.

"Draco." She grabbed his arm and shook him gently. He didn't awake. He yanked his arm away and yelled "NO!" again. She sat on the edge of the bed and patted the side of his face. "Draco." She shook him a little harder.

He surged upright, grabbing Luna's arm and flinging her against the wall beside the bed. Something cracked loudly and painfully in her shoulder. Before she could catch her breath, he was crushed against her, shoving her back into the wall.

"I will fucking kill you if you don't leave me alone." he hissed.

"Draco!" she shouted.

He grabbed her shoulders and shook her. She didn't actually move much, being pinned between his body and the wall, but it was enough to rub together the jagged ends of whatever was broken painfully and cause the back of her head to smack the wall. He pressed her forcefully against the wall and growled "Shut up."

She wiggled against him, trying to free herself. She inadvertantly rubbed against his groin, and realized that he was fully aroused. He ground out a sound that was almost inhuman and slammed her against the wall again. Luna couldn't hold back the cry of pain that time.

Suddenly Draco shouted and released her as Luna felt several cold droplets hit her arms. He spun around with a string of curses to face the house elf standing in the doorway.

Rinka had thrown a pitcher of cold water on his back.

Luna staggered away from the wall, holding her right arm close to her side.

"What is going on?" Draco demanded, looking back and forth between Rinka and Luna.

Draco's parents burst into the room with another of the house elves.

"Missy Luna is hurt." Rinka pointed at her.

Three Malfoys whirled to look at her. Narcissa walked over to check on her, while Lucius turned to Draco.

"What happened in here?"

Draco shook his head, staring at Luna with wide eyes.

"He was having a nightmare." Luna answered. "I tried to wake him up, but he was still in it, even when his eyes were open."

"Is your arm broken?" Mrs. Malfoy asked Luna gently.

"It's my shoulder. I think maybe my collarbone is broken." She pointed out the sore spot with her good hand.

"I'm sorry, this is going to hurt a bit." Narcissa gently prodded the area. "Yes, it's broken, and the ends are displaced." She looked over at Lucius. "This one is beyond me. A dislocated shoulder I would know how to fix, but I have no idea how to set a collarbone."

Lucius frowned. "We can't take her to St Mungos."

"I could call Caelum's healer. I'm sure he could set it." Draco's voice was shaky. "But I've only asked him to come at this time of night once, and that was a real emergency."

"Mimsy, go find an old sheet and tear it into strips. Lucius, we'll need pain potion." Mrs. Malfoy looked at her son. "And some Dreamless Sleep. I'll bind up her arm to keep it stable for tonight, and we'll get the healer out first thing in the morning."

Mr. Malfoy and the second elf left the room.

Draco's whole body was shuddering. "I'm sorry, Luna." he said softly. "I'm so sorry."

She shook her head. "It wasn't me you were hurting. Apparently it was Bellatrix. And from what you screamed out, she seemed to be torturing you and probably deserved it."

Draco shoved past the two of them into the nursery. They stood in the doorway watching as he stood over the crib, rubbing his sleeping son's back.

Draco's father returned with two bottles of potions.

His wife kissed him on the cheek. "Go back to bed, dear. I'll get them situated and I'll be there soon."

He looked to his son, who nodded that he was all right. Lucius Malfoy turned and left the room.

"Mimsy have bandages, madam." the fat elf announced, waddling back into the room.

"Good." Narcissa handed one of the potion bottles to Rinka. "The two of you take Luna into the nursery. I'll be there in a moment. Draco, come here and let's get you settled."

He obediently went into his bedroom with his mother and closed the door part way, but not completely. Apparently they thought the elf had silenced the room, rather than just the crib area, because they spoke freely.

"What happened, Draco?"

He sighed. "It was like she said. I woke up, but I was still in the nightmare. Auntie Bella had me and I couldn't get away. If Rinka hadn't thrown water on me, I probably would have ..." his voice grew fainter and more high pitched before trailing off at the end.

"But you didn't. You're okay, and Luna will be when we get her shoulder taken care of." his mother's voice was smooth and reassuring.

"I don't know if having her in here is a good idea any more." Draco fretted. "Or even Caelum. What if I hurt one of them?"

"This is the safest place for both of them now. Greyback and Rowle paid a visit to the young man in the cellar a few nights ago." There was a smothered curse from Draco before Mrs. Malfoy continued. "I don't even want to think about what would be going on if there was a young lady down there." A pause. "You and I both know that if anyone else here took care of Caelum, it would only be a matter of time before the Dark Lord knew the truth."

There was silence, and then the sound of a bottle being set on a table.

"Get some rest, sweetheart." Mrs. Malfoy's voice sounded tired.

"Good night, Mother."

She came into the nursery, shutting the bedroom door behind her.

"All right then, Luna, take some of this pain potion, and then I'm going to bind your shoulder to hold it steady until morning." Luna nodded, taking the small cup she was handed. The pain began to lessen within moments.

Narcissa took the strips of bedsheet and wound them around Luna, holding her arm against her chest and limiting the movements of her trunk.

"I knew Draco was going to have nightmares tonight." Luna said softly.

Narcissa looked at her in surprise.

"He shut himself off. He wouldn't talk, and would barely even acknowledged Caelum." she continued. "Whenever he does that, I think he's thinking about things. He always has nightmares those nights."

Mrs. Malfoy looked at her sadly and nodded. "You're probably right."

"Maybe we can keep some Dreamless Sleep here, and he can take it on those nights when we think he's going to need it." Luna suggested.

"You aren't afraid to stay with him?" Narcissa asked.

"No." Luna shook her head. "Like I said, he didn't mean to hurt me. He thought I was Bellatrix."

Narcissa nodded. "That's probably a good idea, keeping the potion on standby. We just have to convince him to take it."

Draco's mother helped Luna into bed, and stood over her for a moment, looking like she wanted to say something else. In the end, she left without another word.

* * *

><p>Draco was up early the next morning, and fed Caelum his breakfast as Luna was still limited to one hand. He called the healer as soon as he thought the man would be awake. While they waited for the healer, Draco shook his head and apologized again.<p>

"It's all right, Draco. I know you thought I was Bellatrix. I forgive you." she assured.

"You won't have anything to worry about for a few days." he said, not meeting her eyes.

"What do you mean?" she tilted her head at him.

"The meeting yesterday. I'm going to be gone for a few days." he flicked his wand, casting a non-verbal silencing charm. "Voldemort is taking me with him to meet some of his supporters on the continent. He wants to introduce me as his right hand man."

"Which you don't want to be." she looked at him sadly.

"I don't have much choice." he snorted.

"You could get out." Luna insisted. "Harry would..."

"Not do a damn thing for me." he interrupted. "What I should do is get you and Caelum out, and take the consequences like a man. But I'm not that strong."

Narcissa brought the healer in then to see to Luna's broken collarbone. Draco took Caelum into his bedroom, and spent most of the day avoiding Luna.


	12. Chapter 10

Draco left the next morning, telling Luna he didn't know when he would be back, and leaving a lengthy list of instructions in case Caelum got sick or anything happened while he was gone.

"You've never been away from him, have you?" Luna asked, watching him with his son.

"Not like this." He answered huskily. He gave his son one last hug and kiss. "Daddy loves you and I'll be back soon." He handed Caelum to Luna. "Take care of him."

"Of course." She smiled at him sadly. "Take care of you."

The first day passed slowly and quietly. That evening, Caelum apparently realized Draco hadn't come back. He kept looking toward the bedroom door, crying and holding out his arms. Luna carried him into the bedroom to show him Draco wasn't there.

Mrs. Malfoy came to the nursery after dinner. Caelum's face lit up when the door opened, but he then frowned and made an angry sound when he saw it wasn't his daddy.

Narcissa frowned until Luna explained that the baby was looking for Draco.

"You're spoiled like your father." She laughed at her grandson. "Rinka."

The tiny elf popped into the room. "Mistress is needing Rinka?"

"Bring us a picture of Draco."

Rinka returned a few minutes later with a large portrait of Draco in his quidditch uniform, probably taken in his fifth year. Luna was struck by how young and carefree he looked then, compared to how he was now.

Narcissa held the picture in front of Caelum, who held out his arms and squealed.

"You love your daddy?" Luna asked.

Caelum grabbed at the picture and made jabbering noises, then turned back to look at the bedroom door.

"Daddy." Luna repeated. "Daddy will be home in a few days."

"Daddy. Daddy." Narcissa repeated, pointing at the picture.

"Duh." Caelum managed.

Luna and Narcissa cheered for him, hugging him and clapping.

"Duh. Duh." Caelum repeated, pointing at Draco's picture, grinning broadly. Narcissa held the picture to him. He placed a slobbery kiss on the glass over his daddy's face.

He looked at Luna and said "Duh."

She shook her head. "No." She pointed to the picture. "That's Daddy. I'm Luna. Loooo - nuh."

Narcissa rolled her eyes. "You know he can't say that."

"Then what should he call me?" She tilted her head.

"Maybe we should leave that up to Draco." Mrs. Malfoy frowned.

Caelum held his arms out to Luna, opening and closing his hands. She picked him up and kissed his cheek.

"Duh." he looked up at her and said again.

She pointed to the picture. "Daddy."

He pointed to the bedroom door. "Duh."

"No, Daddy's not in there." Luna looked over at Narcissa who was smiling in amusement.

Caelum leaned toward the door. "Duh! Duh!"

"You're going to have to show him." Narcissa stood up and kissed the baby's forehead. "Good night." She looked over the child's head at Luna. "Call if you need any help with him."

Luna nodded, standing and walking toward the door. "We'll be fine."

She took Caelum in the bedroom again to show him that Draco was not there. They walked around the room, checking in the wardrobe and the bathroom. She laid Caelum down in the middle of the bed. He rolled over and put his head on the second pillow from the right.

"Duh." he announced, burrowing into the bed.

With his head on Draco's favorite pillow.

The only way Luna could get Caelum to sleep that night was to sleep with him in Draco's bed. He awoke promptly at six the following morning, shouting "Duh!"and became distraught when he realized Draco wasn't back. He cried and kicked his feet against the bed. When Luna put him in the high chair and tried to feed him breakfast, he threw his bottle onto the floor. He turned his head and shrieked every time she offered him a bite of cereal. She finally gave up, wrapped him in a blanket, and settled into the rocking chair with baby, bottle, and dragon. He cried and called for his daddy for over an hour before he finally cried himself back to sleep.

He slept a little over an hour before waking again. This time Luna was able to get him to drink half the bottle before he realized Draco still wasn't back.

Narcissa found them with Luna holding Caelum who hugged his dragon, sobbed, and randomly called out for "Duh."

Luna sighed. "He doesn't understand that his daddy will be back, but not right now."

They spent the next two days distracting him as much as possible and tiring him out so he would sleep without crying for Draco. Fortunately, the days were relatively warm, so Narcissa and Luna bundled him up and took him out into the garden several times. They also took him to the library and Narcissa's private sitting room several times.

On the third night, Luna discovered that the house elves had changed the bed linens while she had been out of the room. The sheets and pillows no longer smelled like Draco. It was nearly impossible to get Caelum to sleep that night. The next morning, Caelum stopped looking for Draco as much. The bad news was, he clung to Luna and became hysterical any time she was out of his sight. He also started calling Luna "Duh" as well.

On the fifth day, Caelum was eating a little better, probably from sheer hunger. He still became inconsolable whenever Luna was out of his sight.

Luna heard loud voices from other parts of the Manor, but ignored them as she had learned to do early in her captivity. She was continuing to try to feed Caelum his lunch, only parts of which he would eat. She whirled when she heard the door open to find Draco in the doorway.

"Hey." he said simply, just hanging in the doorway, watching them both.

"Duh!" Caelum shouted, bouncing up and down in his high chair, little legs kicking, arms out and hands opening and closing rapidly. "Duh! Duh!"

Luna smiled at the puzzled look on Draco's face. "I tried to teach him to say Daddy. That's the best we've gotten, and unfortunately he calls me Daddy as well."

Draco's face lit up like someone had given him the world. He crossed the room in three long strides. "Daddy's home." he told Caelum.

He had to dodge the tray of the high chair as it went flying across the room.

"What did you do that for?" he turned to Luna in shock.

"I didn't." Luna looked at him in confusion.

Draco turned back to his son, who was about to bounce out of the chair, shouting "Duh! Duh! Duh! Duh!" and holding up his arms.

"Did you do that?" Draco asked the baby. He scooped the child up. Caelum threw his little arms around his daddy's neck and planted a slurpy kiss on the side of his chin. "I missed you too." Draco laughed.

Caelum pressed against Draco's chest and laughed.

Luna started to move away, to give them some time together. Caelum realized she was leaving and shrieked.

"Duh!" he cried, holding one hand out to her, while keeping a death grip on Draco's shirt with the other.

Luna turned back to him. "Did you want Daddy..." she pointed at Draco. "or me?" she pointed at herself.

Caelum looked at her, tilting his head as Luna often did. "Muh. Me. Meeeeee!" his little face lit up. "Duh." he looked at Draco. "Me." he pointed at Luna.

Draco laughed. "That will do for now. You are so smart!"

Luna took the little hand pointed at her and kissed it. "You are. You are such a smart boy."

Caelum yanked his hand away from her, grabbing a handful of her hair and pulling her closer. "Me!"

"You want Duh and Me to both stay, hm?" she asked the baby.

She sat down on the floor. Draco retrieved the dragon toy from the crib, tossing it to Luna, and sat down with Caelum in his lap.

Caelum made the sign for his dragon and Luna handed it to him. He hugged the stuffed toy, and then turned to Draco, who tickled his sides and praised what a smart boy he was.

There was a soft knock at the door, and Narcissa came in. She rushed to Draco's side kneeling and wrapping her arms around her son and grandson. "I heard you were back."

Draco kissed her cheek. "Yes, I'm back. Obviously."

She leaned back to look at them.

"Duh." Caelum said, pointing at Draco and snuggling against him.

Mrs. Malfoy smiled indulgently. "Yes, you finally got your daddy back, didn't you?"

"Who's that, Caelum?" Draco pointed at Luna.

"Me!" he cried out, giggling.

Narcissa raised an eyebrow at Draco. "You're teaching him to call Luna Mummy?"

Draco frowned. "No. Caelum came up with that on his own. He doesn't even know what a mummy is."

Narcissa smirked. "You should teach him to call Luna his mummy. That would burn _her_ pride to no end."

She stood then, ruffling the baby's hair. "I'll talk to you later." she gave Draco a significant look.

He nodded, but didn't answer as his mother left.

Caelum began slurping on the dragon's plastic nose. Draco kissed the top of his son's head. "I missed you so much." he whispered.

"Did everything go well on your trip?" Luna asked.

Draco shrugged. "After all the talk up, it was rather anti-climatic. The Dark Lord took me to some of his allies and introduced me as his new general. They said all the appropriate things." He snorted and rearranged his legs. "They're all suckups like my father. Speaking of whom, the Dark Lord dropped me off back here, and took my father and Auntie Bella with him. He didn't say where they were going, just that they would be back tomorrow. My father about pissed himself, he was so thrilled."

She leaned back, resting her palms behind her. "You are not ever leaving that child for five days again." she smiled at him. "He cried for you almost the entire time you were gone."

Draco creased his brow at her, then looked down at his son. "Did you miss Daddy?"

"Duh." the baby pointed, smiling sleepily, his eyelids drooping.

Draco moved to the rocking chair, nuzzling his child for a moment, and then rocking him to sleep. He didn't put Caelum in the crib, but just sat there holding him and watched him sleep.

"Do you want me to take him?" Luna asked softly.

"No, he's fine." Draco murmured.

"I didn't think you were in contact with his mother." she said, not quite looking him in the eye.

He sighed. "Unfortunately, I am. Not by choice. And I assure you, there's nothing going on between us any more. But she has nothing to do with Caelum. She hasn't even held him since the night he was born."

"And you're not sure how you feel about that." she continued for him.

"We don't need her." he spat angrily. "We're fine without her. We're _wonderful_ without her. She wanted the perfect little pure blood baby to present to the Dark Lord as his ... whatever. Not really an heir, because he has no plans to die. But Caelum wasn't perfect, so she has no interest in him whatsoever."

"Do you really want her to?" Luna tilted her head at him. "What if she had kept Caelum from the very beginning? Where would you be now?"

"I probably would have been dead by now. I would have done something stupid and reckless on a raid." he shook his head.

"Would Caelum have had a better life with his mother and Voldemort?" she scooted a little closer, and reached up to stroke the baby's hair.

He gave her a withering look. "Are you out of your fucking mind?"

"You wouldn't trust her if she suddenly came along now, and wanted to be part of his life." she pointed out.

"Do you even _have_ a point?" he snapped.

"Just that if you keep holding on to the hurt and anger, you're still allowing her to control you."

She got up and walked to her bed, flopping down with a book.


	13. Chapter 11

Draco held Caelum throughout his nap, and then got in the floor to play with his son when the baby woke. He told Rinka he would take his dinner in the nursery.

Luna didn't venture far from them all afternoon and evening. But she didn't speak much either, and when she smiled, it didn't quite reach her eyes.

After dinner, during which Draco had tried in vain to engage her in conversation, he finally snapped.

"I'm sorry I came back and wanted to spend time with _my_ son." he snarled.

"What?" she looked at him in confusion.

"You've been pouting all afternoon. Trust me, I'll have to go out again soon, and you can have time with him. Just remember though, he's _MY_ child. Not yours." he glared at her.

She shook her head. "I wasn't upset about that. I'm glad you're home."

He sighed. "Then what's wrong with you?"

"Does it matter?" she asked, tilting her head.

"Yes." he folded his arms stubbornly. "When you're not happy, it affects Caelum. And I'm the only one allowed to be a royal pain in the arse around here."

Luna smiled briefly at his half hearted joke, but her face fell again.

"I just miss my daddy." she sighed. "Seeing you with Caelum, when you get back from being away from him for five days, I think of how my father must miss me, and how worried he must be that he doesn't know where I am."

"Your father knows you will be kept safe as long as he cooperates and writes the things the Dark Lord has asked in _The Quibbler_." Draco rolled his eyes. "The Dark Lord gave his word."

Luna looked up at him, head tilted. "How much would you trust the Dark Lord's word where your child's safety was involved?"

Draco shrugged and didn't answer.

Two hours after they put Caelum to bed, Draco abruptly strode into his room without saying good night. He returned in full Death Eater costume.

"I have a mission. I'll be back in a few hours." he informed her curtly, walking over to the crib to make sure Caelum was asleep.

"A mission?" she frowned. "You just got back. And I didn't think the Dark Lord had returned yet."

Draco rolled his eyes. "He hasn't but that doesn't mean I don't have a mission. I'll be back shortly." He stomped back through the connecting door into his own room.

Draco apparated into a field outside an odd looking house. He walked up the front steps and banged on the door with his fist. A dishevelled man with white blond hair answered, his eyes widening in fear at the sight of a Death Eater at his door.

"I've written what he..." the man began, but Draco held up a hand to cut him off.

"I'm not here about that," Draco snapped. "I'm here about your daughter."

If possible, the man paled further. "My Luna? What's happened to her?"

"She's fine," Draco told him. "She's being treated well, because of your cooperation. She's not being kept in a dungeon, but is living in a fine country house."

"They're not..." the fear in the older man's eyes was not subsiding. "They're not...hurting...her, are they?"

"No. She's safe. She takes care of a Death Eater's child, and the child is very fond of her. As long as you contine to cooperate, she will continue to be protected." Draco stepped back. "Now I must go, and you must not tell anyone I was here."

"Wait," the man gave him the same puzzled look as his daughter sometimes had. "Why should you not want anyone to know you were here, if you came to tell me that she's being treated well because of my cooperation?"

"Because I wasn't sent here by the Dark Lord. I came on my own to tell you." Draco took another step backwards.

"But why? Why would you risk danger to yourself to come tell me this?"

"Because I'm a father too." Draco said before apparating away.

* * *

><p><em>"Harder!" she hissed. <em>

_He obediently tightened his grip on her hips and pounded into her with more force. Mentally, he was repeating the steps to make Draught of Living Death, because he was so damn close, but he knew better than to let things end before she was ready for him to do so. _

_She gripped the headboard of the bed with one hand while the other reached between her legs to touch herself. He finished the potion making in his head and moved on to reciting the Statute of Secrecy Proclamation. _

_"Draaaaaaaacooo..." his name fell from her lips as a breathless, shuddering moan. _

_He felt her walls tighten and convulse around him, and only then did he relax and allow his body to find release. She made a noise that was something like a purr. _

_"You're welcome." he muttered._

_He collapsed onto the bed, rolling onto his back with his arm across his eyes._

_"You've got five minutes." she whispered. _

_It was a dream, and he knew it was a dream, but he also knew what was coming next, because he remembered all too well the night it really happened. As it works in dreams, knowing what was going to happen didn't give him the power to stop it. _

_Relaxation seeped through him, and his eyes drifted shut, only to be awakened minutes later by a stinging hex to the arm across his face. _

_"Who told you to go to sleep when I want to play some more?" she pouted. _

_"Bella," he mumbled. "So tired." _

_He was exhausted, actually. He had spent the entire day training with Voldemort, practicing wandless and wordless magic. He had stumbled back to his room, intent on falling into bed most likely with his clothes on, only to find one frisky aunt waiting for him. She had poured a vial of replenishing potion down his throat, which lasted just long enough for him to survive round one. And she wanted to go again?_

_Obviously, as she was now trying to suck him into cooperation. If he felt better, her tongue would be doing amazing things. _

_As it was, she was just annoying him._

_"Lee me 'lone." he whimpered pitifully, trying to push her away with his knee and turn over. "Already did this tonight."_

_Bella's tongue swirled over the head of his dick, and she released him from her mouth long enough to whisper. "You just have to lay here, sweet."_

_Unfortunately, he did have to do a little more than just lay there. And his body simply refused to cooperate. _

_After another two minutes of her mouth not achieving the desired results, she took matters into her own hands, literally. He fell asleep again._

_Bella punched him in the gut. Hard. And because his eyes were closed and he didn't see it coming, he wasn't prepared. It literally knocked the breath out of him. He opened his eyes, gasping. _

_"Pathetic little...!" she broke off the words into a growl._

_"I'm sorry. I'm just too tired. The Dark Lord..." he protested. _

_"Crucio!"_

_He should be used to the searing pain by now, but apparently no one could ever get used to being tortured. He tried not to scream, but one or two escaped through his clenched teeth. _

_"Please! I'm sorry!" he begged as the agony went on and on._

_The pain stopped as suddenly as it began. Instead of Auntie Bella sitting beside him on the bed, it was Luna. _

_Luna smiled at him sadly, brushing his hair away from his face. "Shhh. It's okay. You're safe now. She can't hurt you now."_

_"She always comes back." he whispered. _

_"She won't come while I'm here." Luna promised. _

_"Then don't leave me." Draco wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her down onto the bed beside him. Luna yelped in surprise. He snuggled her back against his chest, threw the covers over them, sighed in contentment, and went back to sleep. _

* * *

><p>He drifted back into consciousness, slowly becoming aware that he wasn't alone. His arm was wrapped around a slim waist, and long hair was tickling his chest. His leg was between a woman's legs, pressed against groin, and slid against her as he started to pull away. She made a sound like "mmmmm" and tightened her legs around him. All the blood rushed to his erection, now straining against his pajama pants, crushed against her backside.<p>

Confusion set in as he realized they were both clothed. That wasn't like Bella. If she had come and crawled into bed with him, she definitely would have been naked.

His eyes flew open, straining to see in the pre-dawn light. The thick, curly hair in front of his face was definitely blonde.

"Luna!" he roared, shoving her away and scrambling to the other side of the bed. "What the fuck are you doing? I told you, this was not part of the deal!"

She sat up and tilted her head at him. "You pulled me into bed with you."

"No I didn't!" he insisted.

"Yes you did." she nodded. "You were having a nightmare. I came to wake you up. You told me not to leave you and pulled me down beside you."

He shoved his hand through his hair. The dream started coming back to him. And then the end, where he had told Luna not to leave him. How he felt so safe and content with her cuddled against him. How soft and warm she had been when he woke up entangled with her.

No. His mind was not going there.

"Now, I want you to leave." he snapped, stomping into the bathroom and slamming the door.


	14. Chapter 12

"Thirteen for dinner again." Draco announced, stomping into the nursery. He had been avoiding her for the past four days since he had awoken with Luna beside him. He threw a dress onto her bed. "My mother had this one made for you so you have something to wear when this happens."

The dress was beautiful, silk in a shade between aqua and turquoise. It fit a little loose, but once Luna had it on, it adjusted itself so that it fit perfectly. Luna would have to learn that charm someday. It was off the shoulder with a fitted bodice and a bell skirt, a traditional princess cut.

Mrs. Malfoy knocked at the door just as Luna finished dressing.

"Ah. Wonderful." Narcissa nodded with a small smirk. "I thought this would be just gorgeous on you. Sit down." She pulled a set of jewelled clips from her pocket, flicking her wand to pull Luna's hair away from her face and place the barettes.

"Perfect. You'll definitely attract some attention. I just hope it's not Mulciber and Rab." Mrs. Malfoy frowned.

"Mrs. Malfoy, why are you being nice to me?" Luna asked.

The older woman sighed. "Because you're the best hope I have right now of salvaging my family." She crossed the room and knocked on Draco's door, shouting "Be down in ten minutes!" before leaving the nursery without another word.

Rinka popped into the room to watch Caelum. Draco stomped in, stopping short when he caught sight of Luna. She smiled at him. Several expressions crossed his face in rapid succession, before fixing on annoyance.

"Let's go." he snapped, taking her arm with a little more force than necessary. They arrived at the dining room to find nearly everyone already seated. Professor Snape was not there. Draco gave his mother a pointed glare, and seated Luna to his right. Next to Rabastan Lestrange.

"My dear lady." Rabastan took Luna's hand and kissed it. "I had no idea I would have such a pleasant dinner companion."

"You don't." Draco snarled from the other side of Luna. "She's my dinner companion."

"Ah, Draco. You shouldn't monopolize all this young lady's time, you know." Rabastan continued to smile pleasantly at Luna.

Draco leaned over to look at him. "The Dark Lord sent her to my quarters, not yours. He never said anything about sharing."

Rab leaned closer to Luna. "I won't tell if you won't."

Luna was saved from having to answer as Voldemort took his place, and the house elves began serving. The Dark Lord asked after the whereabouts of several Death Eaters who weren't in attendance before turning to Luna.

"Miss Lovegood. I have recently learned that your mother was Aislinn Connolly." Luna nodded. "I tried to recruit her. She told me she was too busy with her research to join with us." Voldemort steepled his fingers and looked at her over them. "Tell me, how does the daughter of a Slytherin, from such a long and pure blooded pedigree, come to throw her lot in with Potter and his band of misfits?"

Draco's hand clenched her thigh under the table so hard Luna was certain she would have a hand shaped bruise.

"I was friends with Ginny Weasley. The Weasleys are my family's nearest neighbors. I was invited to spend time with Ginny's friends." Luna gave a half shrug.

"Luna is young, my lord." Narcissa spoke up. "Perhaps we can reverse the wrong ideas she was taught in the past."

Voldemort nodded to her, but looked back at Luna. "You didn't seek them out, to align yourself with The Boy Who Lived?"

"No." Luna shook her head. "I just wanted friends. I was terribly lonely before."

"Are you lonely now?" Voldemort sneered.

"I miss my other friends." Luna answered honestly. "But I have Draco to be my friend now."

"And what of the child?" the Dark Lord asked Luna, but looked at Draco.

"He's delightful." Luna smiled. "He's very bright and learning new things every day."

Voldemort gave her a mockery of a smile before looking hard into Draco's eyes.

The rest of the meal passed without Luna being addressed further, and with Draco pointedly ignoring her. As the dishes were cleared, the group began to trickle toward the drawing room for drinks. Draco herded Luna toward the stairs.

"Nonsense, Draco." the Dark Lord's voice stopped them. "Let Luna out of that nursery for a few moments."

They followed the rest of the diners into the drawing room. Narcissa handed Luna a glass of wine.

"You did very well." she whispered to the girl before walking away to join her husband.

Bellatrix appeared at Draco's elbow, drawing him away to speak with her and Voldemort. One of the Death Eater wives came to speak to Luna.

"So you're Aislinn's daughter. She and I were at Hogwarts together, but she was two years younger. Very clever girl, she was. I was quite surprised she was in Slytherin, rather than Ravenclaw." the woman chatted. "We all knew she had great things ahead of her. Of course, we were rather distressed about her unfortunate marriage, and then of course, the accident..."

"I don't see my parents' marriage as unfortunate." Luna frowned.

"Well of course not, dear. Otherwise, they wouldn't have had you!" the woman laughed at her own statement. "But now you're with people who can teach you properly what your mother was raised to believe, rather than that lunatic she married. I'm certain we'll have you sorted out in no time." the woman patted Luna's arm. "And you and Draco will make such a handsome couple." she leaned in conspiratorially. "He's the Dark Lord's chosen man, you know. You couldn't make a better match. We can all see that he's quite taken with you. I'm sure he's only waiting for you to embrace your heritage before he makes an offer."

The woman finished the drink in her hand and set off in search of another, leaving Luna alone again.

An older man with close set eyes approached Luna next. "Surely if we were in muggle London, you could stop traffic in that dress." he told her with a look that raked up and down her figure.

"I hope not." she replied lightly. "The muggles get quite irritated when their traffic is disrupted."

He laughed, and took a step closer. "We had an idea that little Draco was hiding something special up there." The man walked around Luna, as if sizing her up from different angles. "I truly underestimated. Forgive me, dear lady."

"Stop looking at my companion as if she were a piece of meat, Mulciber." Draco drawled.

Luna started at the sound of his voice.

"Perhaps she would like a bit of someone else's company for a change." the older man smirked.

"I think she's perfectly content with my company." Draco nearly growled.

"Is that so?" Mulciber challenged.

Draco grabbed Luna's shoulders and turned her to face him. She automatically tilted her head up to see what he was doing, and only had a heartbeat to register the fact that he was lowering his head toward her. His hand came up to cup the back of her neck as his lips met hers. His mouth moved over hers, coaxing her lips apart to allow his tongue entrance. Her arms rose to wrap around his shoulders almost of their own volition.

He released her as suddenly as he had claimed her, both of them gasping for breath.

"Maybe not." he smirked at Mulciber, arching an eyebrow. "I'm taking my companion upstairs now." He announced to no one in particular, as the whole room was now staring at them.

He put his hand on the small of Luna's back to herd her toward the exit.

Bellatrix suddenly appeared in their path.

"Draco." she practically purred. "I'd like to speak to you later." She laid her hand on his chest.

Luna felt his whole body stiffen. A moment later, Bellatrix was on her behind on the floor.

"He doesn't want you to touch him." She informed Bellatrix with a mild smile.

Bellatrix looked from Draco's shocked face to Luna's serene one and began to laugh. "Your little bird has talons, Draco."

Draco led Luna around his aunt on the floor and through the doorway.

"Thank you." he whispered as they reached the stairs.

Nothing else was said until they reached the nursery and he had silenced the locked door behind them.

"What happened down there." he rolled his eyes at the door. "was just for show. Don't go reading things into it."

He turned toward his bedroom.

"Draco."

He paused, looking back toward her.

"Did Voldemort give me to you to take care of Caelum, or for sex?"

He snorted. "You're in my custody. Whatever that entails is up to me."

He took one more glance at his sleeping son and headed to his room to hide.

* * *

><p><em>Draco watched Caelum playing on the floor with his dragon, looking up to smile and pronounce "Duh!"<em>

_He was older, his face slightly slimmer, his hair filled in as dark and curly as his mothers, but his smile sweet and serene as hers could never be. A smaller boy with white blond hair sat with him. The younger boy stood and toddled over to Luna, placing a block in her hand. _

_"Mumma!" he said, and Luna beamed at him, her belly already rounding again. _

_"Draco," came an oily voice from the doorway. "What a disappointment your firstborn has turned out to be." the Dark Lord glided into the room. "He not only has not caught up with other children his age, he has been surpassed by his younger brother." _

_"My Lord," Draco rushed out. "Just give him time. Bella and I are both very powerful. Caelum can already perform accidental magic. He just needs..."_

_"Magical ability is useless if he can't walk and talk and control it." the Dark Lord sneered. "We will begin training on the second one," he pointed at the blond boy. "but we have wasted enough time on this inferior being." _

_He raised his wand. "Avad..."_

_"NO!" Draco screamed. _

He sat upright in bed, automatically pointing his wand at the figure in his room before he realized it was Luna on her way to wake him.

He jumped from the bed, sending the covers flying, almost knocking her over in his haste to get to the nursery. He picked up his sleeping son, startling Caelum, who cried out until he realized Daddy had him. The baby snuggled against Draco's chest and closed his eyes.

Draco sank into the rocking chair, shuddering, stroking his son's sparse hair, kissing the top of his head, murmuring "I won't let them hurt you."

Luna sat at his feet and looked up at him. "It was just a dream." she soothed. "He's safe. Are you all right?"

Draco took two deep breaths and swallowed three times before he could answer her. "Promise me something." he whispered hoarsely.

"What's that?" she asked.

"If I ever tell you to take him and run, do it. Go. Don't look back. No Gryffindor shit. Don't try to save me. Just go." he stared out into the darkness.

"I promise."


	15. Chapter 13

"Draco, she's extraordinary." Voldemort looked at his lieutenant over his folded hands. "Both of you are greatly talented in wandless and non-verbal magic. You're both highly skilled occlumens. Luna hasn't even been formally trained." Voldemort leaned forwards. "Imagine how talented your children could be, if trained properly from a young age."

"My lord, is this the time to be thinking about my children? We have so much to accomplish." Draco protested faintly.

"My dear boy, all you have to do is make them for now." Voldemort laughed. "Luna will raise them until they're old enough to train. And by then, Potter will be defeated, and you will be able to devote your talents to training the followers who come after."

"You have a point, my lord." Draco nodded grimly.

"I'll expect another Malfoy by next year." Voldemort motioned for Draco to be dismissed.

Draco stomped into the nursery, his face dark and closed.

Caelum looked up at him and smiled. "Duh!"

Draco's face softened, although he didn't actually smile. "Hey Caelum." he answered, dropping to the floor beside them.

His son held out his arms, opening and closing his hands as he did when he wanted to be picked up.

"You want Daddy?" Draco gathered the child up and kissed his forehead.

"Me!" the baby turned and held his arms out to Luna.

Draco glared at her.

"It's a game with him." Luna explained. "He had Rinka and me passing him back and forth all morning. As soon as I get him, he'll want you back."

"Me!" Caelum repeated, and Draco handed him over.

The baby sat there for less than a minuted before he held his hands out again and shouted "Duh!"

"I see what you mean." Draco smiled at him. "You just want everyone's attention, don't you?"

Caelum babbled nonsensically back at him.

"You get it honestly." Draco told him. "Your grandfather's patronus is a peacock."

"Lucius?" Luna asked.

Draco nodded.

"You're getting to be a big boy. Did you know that? Your birthday is Friday." He tickled the boy's tummy as he spoke to him.

"Are we having a party?" she made a surprised face at Caelum, who giggled.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Oh yeah. We'll invite all the Death Eaters."

"Duh!" Caelum pointed.

Luna turned him over, tummy down, and put him on the blanket between them. "Duh!" Caelum whined, reaching both hands above his head toward Draco.

Draco frowned at her, then reached over to pick up the baby.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I thought maybe putting him down like that would encourage him to try to crawl." Luna shrugged.

"Me!" Caelum was ready to switch again.

Luna reached over and took the baby from Draco, but instead of putting him in her lap immediately, she tried to stand him on his own feet, with Luna holding him up by his hands. Almost immediately, his little legs trembled and buckled, and he would have fallen if Luna hadn't been holding onto him.

Draco grabbed his son back from her.

"I guess he's not ready to stand up yet." Luna smiled. "He will be soon enough."

"Stop rushing him." Draco snapped at her. "He'll stand when he's ready. I told you he's behind schedule."

He stood and walked toward his bedroom. "Come on Caelum, let's go take a nap."

* * *

><p>They emerged from the bedroom two hours later, Caelum bright eyed and babbling, Draco looking worse than before their nap.<p>

"Rinka." Draco grumbled.

The little elf popped into the room. "Master Draco needs Rinka?"

"Bring my dinner with Luna's and Caelum's. I don't want to go downstairs." He handed the baby to Luna and flung himself into the armchair.

"Why don't you take some Dreamless Sleep tonight and go to bed early?" Luna suggested gently.

"We've got a raid tonight." he snorted. "I hate these fucking raids. The Dark Lord expects us to harm people because their blood isn't like ours. I've seen their blood. It looks just like mine."

"No one gets to choose their own parents. Just because someone is a halfblood or a muggleborn or even a muggle doesn't make them less of a person than you, Draco. They're just different. Not necessarily worse or even better. Just different." She tilted her head at him. "Does that mean you don't believe in the pureblood supremacy any more?"

He looked across the room at nothing. "Caelum would have been better off if he wasn't pureblooded. Of course, his mother is the freaking pureblood supremacy queen, so she wouldn't have had a baby that wasn't as pure as she could get."

"What do you mean he would have been better off if he wasn't pureblooded?"she asked.

"Nothing." he snapped. "Just forget it, because nothing can be done to change it."

Rinka brought their meal. Draco mostly pushed his food around on his plate. Luna spoon fed Caelum a few bites. She then cut up a few small pieces and put on the tray in front of him. Caelum picked up a piece of carrot with all four fingers against the palm of his hand, but dropped it when he opened his fist to try to put it in his mouth. He reached for it again with his whole hand.

"No, like this." Luna picked up a piece of carrot with her thumb and forefinger and put it in Caelum's mouth. She held her hand in front of him, pinching her thumb and finger together for him to see. Caelum mimicked her action, but when he tried to pick up another piece of carrot, he missed. He growled and angrily shoved the rest of the carrots off the high chair tray and onto the floor.

"You are definitely a Malfoy." Draco shook his head.

Luna spooned more carrots into Caelum's mouth. "He should be able to feed himself better than this by now." she frowned.

"Duh." Caelum pointed at Draco's plate.

He grinned at his son. "She's feeding you carrots and you want chicken?" He cut a tiny piece and put in the baby's mouth.

Caelum smacked his lips and pointed to Draco's plate again.

Draco laughed. "Bad old mummy, trying to feed you vegetables." he gave Caelum another bite of chicken.

He looked up at Luna, who was looking at him in shock.

"What?" he demanded.

"You called me his mummy."

Several expressions flickered across his face again. Finally he shrugged. "Caelum doesn't know what a mummy is. But if he did, you're the closest thing he's ever had to one."

He fed the baby several more bites of chicken, before moving on to a bit of chocolate cake.

That definitely got Caelum's attention. He leaned over, reaching both hands toward Draco's plate.

"This is mine." Draco pulled the plate away teasingly.

Caelum made an angry sound, then turned to Luna and babbled.

She laughed. "That's definitely your son, telling on someone when he doesn't get his way."

Draco pretended to be put out. "He's yours too now."

"Yes, he is." she reached over, grabbed Draco's plate of cake, and dumped it on the high chair tray.

Caelum immediately smashed both hands into the cake, and then sucked the chocolate off his fingers, grinning and chattering.

"See?" Draco nodded toward the baby. "He's doing just fine feeding himself. He just didn't want carrots."

Luna rolled her eyes but didn't answer.

Caelum finished destroying the cake, wearing as much as he ate. Draco carried him in the bathroom, and helped Luna bathe the child. She carried the baby back into the nursery to dress him while Draco changed.

Luna was giving him a little warm milk in a bottle when Draco came in to say goodbye.

"You know," she looked up at Draco. "The muggles have something called sippy cups. They're cups with lids on them so they won't spill easily, but it helps transition them from drinking bottles to drinking from a regular cup. Maybe it's time to get Caelum some of those."

Draco nodded, bending down to kiss his son's forehead. "That sounds like a good thing for a big boy. Good night Caelum." He stood, looking down at the woman holding his son. "I'll see you later tonight."

* * *

><p><em>Bella slipped into his room, silencing and locking the door. He turned his head, unwilling to meet her eyes. The bed shifted under her weight.<em>

_"What have we here?" she purred, pulling back the covers across his waist to find him naked underneath._

_He sighed. "You're going to fuck me anyway."_

_"You're such a good boy." she praised. _

_Her hand was on his chin, turning his face toward hers. Then her lips were on his, her tongue sliding between his teeth. She kissed her way down his chest, slithered her way down to lie between his legs, and took his erection in her mouth. His hands clenched the sheets and he squeezed his eyes shut. _

_"Draco, open your eyes." she whispered._

_Wait. That was wrong. She didn't say that. _

_And how *could* she say that, when her mouth was..._

_"Open your eyes." she repeated. _

_He obeyed. He looked down, and the head that was bobbing up and down over his length had blonde hair. _

_"Luna." he hissed. _

_She let go to look up and smile at him. "Hello, Draco." She reached out and ran her tongue up the underside of his shaft. _

_"No. This is wrong." he said aloud. _

_"Actually, having sex with your aunt is wrong. It's perfectly all right for us. Although I suppose we should be married first, for it to truly be all right." she answered him, tilting her head. _

_She got to her hands and knees and crawled up to straddle him, taking him inside her. _

_"Luna, what are you doing?" he groaned. _

_"Trying to make a baby." she frowned at him. "Am I doing it wrong?" She swiveled her hips in a way that made Draco's breath hitch._

_"No, you're doing just fine." he choked out._

_"Isn't this what the Dark Lord wants, for you to give me a baby?"_

_"The Dark Lord wants to *take* our baby." his hands clutched at the sheets again._

_"Are you going to stop him, or do I have to do everything around here?" she asked. _

_He forced himself to think about what she was saying, rather than how slick and tight she was and how perfect she felt around him. "There's one of me. There are hundreds of Death Eaters. They'll kill us all. Me, you, Caelum, and our children."_

_"No one asked you to storm the Manor singlehandedly. You're not a Gryffindor. Fight them like a Slytherin." she leaned back slightly, resting her hands against his thighs, threw her head back, and gasped. "Yes, right there." _

_He reached for her. but she was just beyond the length of his arms. "Come here." he growled. _

_She leaned forward, placing her hands on his chest. His hands came up to cup her breasts, and his head tilted up until his mouth met hers. _

_All rational thought fled, until there was only the place where their bodies joined and the feel of him moving inside her. His hands moved to her hips, helping her keep time with his quickening pace. _

_"Luna!" he roared as the world exploded behind his eyelids. _

_He opened his eyes to the sight of her flushed and breathless above him, looking like the cat who found the cream. He reached for her, needing her close, needing her to stay with him as Bella never did. _

_Then she was gone. _

She was gone one moment and the next she was sitting beside him, in her pajamas, gently shaking him. "Are you all right?" she whispered. "You shouted my name."

"I'm fine." he spat, jerking his shoulder away from her hand and rolling away from her. "Leave me alone."

She padded back to the nursery, and he hoped the room had been too dark for her to notice that the front of his pajama pants was wet.


	16. Chapter 14

"Let's sing Happy Birthday to him!" Luna said a little too loudly as soon as Draco opened the bedroom door.

"Good morning to you too." he grumbled, looking for his tea.

She laughed. "You're not a morning person."

"I don't know what the hell a morning person is, but it doesn't sound like something I would like." he muttered.

Luna let him get two sips of his tea before she plopped his son in his lap.

"Duh!" Caelum leaned over and kissed Draco's chin sloppily. He smiled at his son despite his usual rough start to the day.

"Happy birthday." Draco said in a slightly husky voice.

Luna crossed her arms at him.

"Oh all right." Draco rolled his eyes but joined Luna in singing Happy Birthday.

"I was thinking." Luna took Caelum and put him on the floor so Draco could finish his tea. "This afternoon, we should have cake for him. You should ask your parents to come up. And anyone else you wanted to. Just a little party. Because everyone should have a birthday party."

Draco half smiled. "Yeah. You should have seen the productions my mother threw for my birthday when I was little."

Luna smiled sadly but didn't say anything.

"What?" Draco gave her the look that indicated that she had better answer.

"My birthday parties were fun when I was a kid. It was mostly just the kids who lived around. In other words, mainly the Weasleys. But my mother would make balloon animals and enchant them to move, and always planned lots of games and fun things for us to do." she sighed. "I haven't had a party since my mother died. Daddy isn't really good about keeping up with things like birthdays."

"When is your birthday?" Draco asked.

"March 12."

"One month from today." he nodded. "That gives us time to plan."

* * *

><p>He slipped out of the room to the kitchens. His mother was there, which was convenient.<p>

"Linus." he addressed the elf in charge of the kitchen. "Today is my son's first birthday. I'd like to have chocolate cake this afternoon. Maybe a cupcake for Caelum and a cake for everyone else."

The old elf nodded. "Yes, Master Draco. Elves will do. Ready by 4?"

"That's fine." Draco turned to his mother. "Why don't you and Father come up to have cake with him? And ask Bella and Rod and Rab."

Narcissa smiled. "Of course, sweetheart. I wouldn't miss it."

* * *

><p>Luna managed to get Caelum down for his nap a little early so he would be awake and ready for his party. Draco had slipped out while the baby was sleeping to run a few errands. He came back shortly before four, his arms loaded with gifts.<p>

Caelum jabbered and pointed at the brightly colored paper.

"Yes, these are for you." Draco smiled at him. "But you have to wait for Grandmother and Grandfather to come." he put a plastic crown on Caelum's head. "There. My little birthday prince."

Caelum pulled the crown off his head and sucked on it.

At precisely 4 o'clock, there was a knock at the nursery door. Draco opened the door to let his parents in. He looked behind them, but there was no one else there.

"Did you invite ... ?" he asked his mother.

She squeezed his hand. "It's just us. We'll have a wonderful little party." She slipped past him to make a fuss over her grandson. "There's my big birthday boy!"

Lucius stood in the middle of the room, looking decidedly uncomfortable, until Luna invited him to sit on the loveseat that had been brought in for the party. "As if I need to be invited to sit down in my own home." he muttered.

Narcissa pulled out a camera, taking several pictures of Caelum alone, before instructing Draco and Luna to get behind him. Luna insisted that they also take some just of Draco and his son.

Rinka and Linus popped in with a cake for the adults and a cupcake for Caelum. Narcissa served the cake with their tea. Draco put a cucumber sandwich on Caelum's high hair tray.

"He has cake." Narcissa took the sandwich from in front of the baby and put it on her husband's plate.

"They're his favorite." Draco frowned.

"If he still wants it after his cake, he can have one." she patted her son's hand. "It's his birthday, after all."

"You're going to ruin him." Lucius grumbled.

Narcissa smiled sweetly at him. "I'm the grandmother. It's my duty."

Draco put the cupcake on Caelum's tray and the child's eyes lit up. He dug both hands into the chocolate cake and began stuffing his mouth. Narcissa snapped pictures, of course. He did manage to get a large percentage of the cake in his mouth, although a considerable amount did end up on his hands, face, clothes, and hair. When he was finished, Luna cleaned him up with a quick spell, and put him in Draco's lap to open gifts.

Lucius presented theirs first, waving for Rinka to bring in something from the hall. It was a rocking horse, a beautifully carved white steed with a green leather saddle. Caelum's eyes widened, and he looked up at Draco, babbling and pointing. Draco sat him on it and helped him rock while Narcissa took pictures.

"You like the horse?" Luna asked, clapping for Caelum as he rode.

Draco lifted him off and sat back down with him in the chair. Caelum made his angry noise until Luna held out another gift in front of child reached for the bright wrapping paper.

Lucius stood. "It's been lovely. Happy Birthday, Caelum. But I have other things I need to attend to this afternoon." He turned and left the room before anyone could speak.

"Ah!" Caelum pointed at the gift Luna still held. She helped him tear the paper.

"Don't get any ideas from this." Draco informed his son. "You're not allowed to tear things up now. This is a special occasion."

The package held several illustrated storybooks.

"Me!" Caelum pointed at the books.

"Yes, Mummy reads you stories, doesn't she?" Narcissa beamed at her grandson. "You're so smart."

Luna reached behind the armchair and got a book sized rectangular package. "This one is from me. I couldn't go shopping of course."

She helped Caelum tear the paper. "Duh!" he pointed.

Luna looked up at Narcissa from her spot on the floor at Draco's feet. "I hope you don't mind. Rinka said this frame was empty up in the attic."

Luna had drawn a sketch of Draco holding Caelum, and the house elves had framed it for her.

Narcissa gaped for a moment. "No. Not at all. The is fabulous. I had no idea you were an artist."

Luna shrugged. "I wish I could have gotten something he would get more use from, a toy or something."

Draco shook his head. "He will appreciate this much more when he's older." he pointed to one of the gifts. "Grab that one. That one is from you too."

"It is?" Luna tilted her head.

"Of course it is." he grinned.

She helped Caelum open the package, a set of sippy cups in bright colors. She winked at Draco.

They opened rest of the gifts, several toys, a Slytherin jumper, and finally, an exercise bouncer.

"I thought it would help strengthen his legs." Draco told Luna.

Narcissa stayed until all the gifts were opened, and helped Caelum play with a few of his new toys. She finally excused herself to go downstairs and see to the dinner preparations.

Luna put Caelum in the bouncer and began putting away his new toys. He played and chattered while Draco sat in the chair and stared at his son. He asked Rinka to bring his dinner to the nursery again.

They ate in silence, or at least the adults were silent. Caelum randomly called out "Duh." and "Me." to get their attention. After dinner, Luna changed Caelum into his pajamas, as he had had his bath before the party. She only rocked him and his dragon for a few minutes before the baby was fast asleep. By that time, Draco was on his second glass of firewhiskey.

"Draco." Luna shook her head. "Don't."

"Don't what?" he snapped.

"You're thinking about things that upset you." she whispered. "Let the past go. Enjoy what you have now. It's your son's one and only first birthday."

"Yeah, it is." he stomped through his bedroom door, throwing his glass against the wall.

Luna quickly called for Rinka and went after him.

He had already kicked over the chair and three golden snitches were buzzing around the room after escaping the smashed trophy case.

"Draco!" she shouted.

He grabbed a framed picture of a young Draco with his parents off the mantle and flung it across the room like a frisbee.

She wrapped both her arms around him.

"You're going to wake Caelum and he'll be frightened."

All the rigidity left his body and he sagged against her. She led him to the bed and sat down with him. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled his head against her shoulder.

"He's her son too." Draco murmured. "My mother invited her and she didn't come. To her own son's first birthday."

"I know that it hurts you." Luna whispered to him. "But Caelum doesn't know. She's never been in his life, so he doesn't miss her. He doesn't know that his real mummy has left him. As you and your mother said, he thinks I'm his mummy." Draco nodded against her shoulder. "He's such a happy baby. He doesn't know there's anything wrong until you get upset."

Draco's voice was suspiciously hoarse with emotion. "Up until he was born, I didn't want him. I just wanted Be ... his mother and that thing in her belly to go away. But then I held him, and he was mine. Now I can't imagine not having him. How can she not understand how special he is?"

"I really don't know. But it's her loss. We're the fortunate ones, to have him in our lives." she squeezed her arms around him.

He half-heartedly looped an arm around her back. They sat that way for a long time.

"Draco." she finally said.

"Yeah."

"I'm going to bed now. And you're going to take that Dreamless Sleep potion."

In the morning he didn't want to be touched again. Luna wasn't surprised.

* * *

><p>It was 3am when he got in from the raid. He stood for five minutes, watching Luna and Caelum sleep, before he started itching and realized he had to get in the shower.<p>

"Luna." he shook her gently. "You fell asleep in the chair again."

"Oh." she started, knocking the book off her lap to land on Draco's toe. "Sorry."

She smiled sleepily. She was beautiful like that, warm and pink and even more dreamy eyed than usual.

She frowned. "Is something wrong?"

The Luna from his dream filled his head, riding him, frowning, asking "Am I doing it wrong?"

He groaned and spun away from her, suddenly desperate to retreat to his room.

"Draco." she said before he could reach safety behind his bedroom door.

"Yes, Luna?" he snapped.

"It's supposed to be a beautiful day tomorrow. Why don't we take Caelum out into the garden and have a picnic?" she suggested.

He sighed, leaning his head against the doorframe, because he could _not_ turn and look at her right now. "That sounds ... great, Luna. I'm sure Caelum would love it." He took another deep breath to steady himself before pushing the door open. "Good night, Luna."

"Good night, Draco."

He stepped into the bathroom, shucking off robes that smelled of destruction, and stepped into the shower. The water slid over his naked body, caressing him as gently as Luna had in the dream.

She was in the next room. She was all soft and warm and sleepy. She was always happy to see him when he got back from the raids.

He flipped the water all the way to cold.

* * *

><p>Bellatrix waited for them just inside the side entrance when they came in from their picnic. She gave Luna a scathing look and didn't even acknowledge Caelum.<p>

"A word, Draco." she crooked her finger at him.

He turned to Luna. "Take Caelum upstairs and I'll be there in a minute."

She nodded. "Good day, Bellatrix." Luna slipped past them and headed toward the stairs.

Bellatrix pulled Draco into the utility room near the doorway, closing and silencing the door.

"You're getting awfully cozy with the little blood traitor." she moved closer as he backed away from her.

His back hit the wall, and Bella pressed up against him.

"I'm sure she doesn't please you the way I do." Bellatrix reached up to trace his lower lip with one red fingernail. "The Dark Lord wants you to have children with her, but once she's knocked up and your duty is done, I'll be glad to take care of your needs again." she reached back to grab his hip and pull his groin against her.

Draco shoved her away and stomped to the door. Only when his hand was on the knob did he turn and speak to her.

"Luna pleases me in ways you can't even imagine, _Auntie Bella_. Sorry, but you've been replaced. I won't be your plaything any more. Neither will Caelum, who is starting to call her Mummy, by the way."

He slammed the door behind him, leaving a livid Bellatrix to seethe and plot.


	17. Chapter 15

"The healer is coming to check Caelum tomorrow." Draco informed Luna over breakfast. "To make sure he's over his respiratory infection and all."

"Oh good." she answered. "I think you should ask him about Caelum's progress. Like I said, he should be standing up by now and be able to feed himself for the most..."

"Let it go, Luna." he interrupted. "I told you before, he'll catch up when he's ready."

"But the healer may have some ideas." she said. "Maybe some things we could do to help him along. Or maybe there's something wrong that the healer may need to address."

Draco surged to his feet furiously and leaned over her. "I. Said. Let. It. Go."

She wasn't perturbed by his reaction. "Why are you so opposed to asking the healer's opinion?"

Draco cast a non verbal silencing spell on the door.

"You can never repeat what I tell you, do you understand?"

Luna nodded.

"Make sure you understand." Draco's face was inches from hers, dark and dangerous. "And that you heed to it. Because they will _kill _him for being defective, in their eyes."

Luna swallowed and nodded again. And reached up to place her hand on his cheek, before she thought better of it and dropped her hand halfway to his face.

"My mother and his private healer are the only ones who know the truth. The staff at St Mungo's has been obliviated as far as his condition is concerned." he ran his hand through his hair and gripped the side of the crib. "I've told everyone that he's behind schedule for being born early and having the hole in his heart. I lied to them. I said that he would catch up with other children by the time he was three or four years old. But they did a lot of tests on him when he was in St Mungo's. A lot of his problems were caused by the premature birth and complications he had as a newborn. Some of his health issues will get better, but some won't. Some of his other problems are genetic and can't be fixed. The healers said it happens sometimes, because all the pureblood families are related somewhere along the line. From time to time, undesirable recessive genes or genetic mutations show up. He has defects of the fifth and fifteenth chromosomes. He has cerebral palsy. He will always be behind other children his age as far as developmental milestones. Most babies this age are walking, or at least trying to. He can barely even sit up without help. He will need assistance to walk, like these weird walking sticks they called crutches and maybe braces on his legs, and he will always have balance and coordination issues. They told me that he would most likely never learn to talk, but he seems to be trying. He will have respiratory problems all of his life. His healer said that he wanted to do some more tests, to reassess Caelum's development. But they would have to be done in a hospital or clinic and the Dark Lord would find out. They wanted me to bring him in a couple times a week for physical therapy, but I can't do that. His eyesight will need correction when he gets a little older. He'll never go to Hogwarts, and he will probably never be able to live on his own without someone to take care of him. They were shocked that I wanted to keep him. Most pureblood families that produce a child like this place it in an institution."

"Why did you keep him?" Luna asked softly, placing her hand beside his on the crib rail.

"His mother wanted me to let him die. But I looked at him, and he looked up at me, and he trusted me. He was just a baby. He didn't ask to be sick or do anything to deserve it. He couldn't help it that he got bad genes. He is the sweetest, happiest baby. His health problems don't mean he's not as good as other babies! He's just..." Draco trailed off, suddenly able to say the last word.

"Different," Luna finished for him.

"What are you going to do?" she asked. "I mean, when the time comes, and he's obviously not caught up with other children."

"I'm working on that now." he sighed. "I keep hoping that Potter would do what he has to do. Because you don't exactly just resign from being a Death Eater." he sat back down and buried his face in his hands. "I keep telling myself that I should let you take him and run. But what if that puts you and him in more danger?" he leaned back in his chair and shook his head.

"I'll do whatever you think is best." Luna reached over and put her hand on his knee.

He yanked away, of course.

* * *

><p>"Why don't we talk to the healer anyway?" Luna suggested shortly before lunch. "Maybe he can show us some of the thing they would do for him in physical therapy, and we could do them here. No one would even know."<p>

"That's an idea." Draco conceded. "Maybe we could."

There was a knock at the hall door, and Draco opened it to find Lucius there.

"I'm going to Diagon Alley this afternoon." he informed his son. "I'd like for you to accompany me."

Draco rolled his eyes. "Do I have a choice?"

"No." Lucius smirked. "Take care of whatever you were going to do today, and we will leave immediately after lunch." he gave Luna a long slow look from head to toe, indicating exactly what he expected Draco to be doing. He turned and left the room.

Draco followed his father into the hall. "That was completely crass and uncalled for."

"What do you mean?" Lucius quirked an eyebrow at him.

"The way you were looking at Luna." Draco glared at him.

"Oh, so the little dragon is possessive of his latest bint." Lucius taunted. "Don't worry, my tastes run to _adult_ women. Not silly little schoolgirls, and certainly not my own son's personal whore." He looked at his son with a smirk, but his eyes were dark. "I guess adult women were too much for you to handle. Just remember one thing. She's a prisoner of war. Don't get too attached, because if the other side makes a good enough offer, she can be given back just as suddenly as she was taken."

Draco narrowed his eyes further. "Not if she has a Malfoy in her belly."

Lucius' eyes widened slightly. "Is she pregnant?"

"Not yet." Draco smirked.

His father gave him a derisive glare. "One of these days you're going to have to learn how to prevent such things."

* * *

><p>Draco had been counting the ceiling tiles in Gringotts for fifteen minutes, tuning out his father pestering some wrinkled little goblin about galleons. There was a pop, and before he could even register what had happened, he felt the swirling tug of apparation.<p>

He landed in the middle of complete chaos in the nursery, just as Dimpy apparated in with Snape. Mrs. Goyle was levitating a shuddering Luna onto her bed. His mother held Caelum, whose pitifully weak cries reminded Draco of the night he was born. Most, if not all of the house elves, were running around, answering or shouting instructions. Voldemort himself stood in the middle of the room, quietly watching the uproar around him.

Draco was about to ask what had happened when he saw the bound figure that his Uncle Rab was levitating out of the room.

Bellatrix.

Draco took his son from his mother, with a concerned look toward Luna."What did she do?"

Narcissa shook her head. "Bella took it upon herself to question Luna again about Potter's whereabouts. She broke all the fingers on Luna's right hand, used the arachna ambulata on her, and the laedo capita, and then..." she paused. "she threatened Caelum." Narcissa put her hands on her son's arms as he looked at his shaking child. "Luna got between her and Caelum. Bella hit her with a cruciatus. When Luna fell, Caelum was hit as well. His healer is on the way."

Draco looked over to where Uncle Sev was tending to Luna, and handed Caelum back to his mother.

"Draco..." she called after him, but he was beyond hearing her.

He stomped across the hall to the empty bedroom where Rab and Voldemort had taken Bella. She had been unbound and was on her feet. Draco grabbed her by the throat, slamming her against the nearest wall, and shoving his wand in her face before she could blink.

"I will fucking kill you. I will skin you alive and if you're still breathing after that, I'll disembowel you." he snarled. "That is your fucking _BABY_ you tortured."

"Draco." the Dark Lord said with perfect calmly. "Let her go and we will talk about matters civilly, shall we?"

"There's nothing to fucking talk about." he continued to glare into Bella's eyes and tightened his grip on her throat.

He found himself flung across the room, his feet knocked out from under him by hitting the bed, and landing on his back on the floor on the other side of it.

He was on his feet in an instant, to find himself staring at the business end of Voldemort's wand.

"Draco." Voldemort addressed him again. "I am the Dark Lord. I shall conduct these proceedings." he lowered his wand. "Now. State your grievance with Bellatrix, as a formality."

Draco took a deep breath and shoved his hand through his hair. "She came to torture Luna. I am presuming she did so without your orders?"

Voldemort nodded. "Correct. No questioning was ordered."

"She has already been _questioned_ and stated she had no knowledge of Potter's whereabouts or current activities." Draco continued. "I can assure you that she has not been in contact with him since. Bella was well aware of the plans we have for the girl. Luna is not expecting yet, but if she had been, as Bella is well aware, using the cruciatus on a pregnant woman will kill the child and could cause complications that would also kill the mother. In addition, my son was hit with the curse. He is much too young to be tortured, and is most likely seriously injured. He is just now recovering well from the injuries she inflicted on him from not taking care of herself while she was pregnant. She has probably set him back in his development considerably."

"Bellatrix, are his statements true?" Voldemort turned to her.

"Yes, my lord." she hung her head.

"Draco, I see your desire for vengeance." Voldemort walked over to stand in front of him. "However, you seem to believe this woman and child belong to you. They belong to me, as does everything and everyone in this house. I allow you to keep them of my generosity and appreciation for your faithful service. Therefore, the vengeance is mine. Go see to the girl and the child. Make sure whatever needs to be is done to ensure their health. I shall deal with Bella."

Draco bowed. "Yes, my lord." and quickly left the room. He walked over to his bedroom door and quickly cast a few enchantments before repeating them at the nursery door.

The healer was examining Caelum. Draco nodded to the man and crossed the room to where Uncle Sev was bending over Luna's bed.

"How are you feeling?" Draco asked, kneeling beside her.

"Like I was trampled by a hippogriff?" Luna answered.

"Not funny." Draco muttered.

Snape smothered a smirk. "I've given Miss Lovegood some Skelegrow for her broken fingers and a potion to calm the central nervous system as the curses she was hit with seem to have been concentrated on that area. I also have a restorative potion and a sleeping draught for her, as rest will help her more than anything else at this point." he straightened and looked at Draco. "I need to return to Hogwarts. None of the staff was informed I was leaving before I was spirited away." he glared at one of the house elves, not the one that had fetched him, however.

"I'll walk you out." Lucius said from behind them, startling Draco, who hadn't realized his father had returned.

The healer approached.

"How is my son?" Draco asked.

The healer looked at Luna, and when Draco nodded, he answered. "From what I can tell, it appears his exposure to the cruciatus was minimal. But any exposure is serious with a child this young, especially with his small size and history of respiratory problems. I'd like to give him some potion to relieve the nerve pain, which is more intense in a child this small, and a restorative potion, but I'm hesitant to give them to him unless I can observe him for at least several hours afterwards to make sure there are no unexpected effects."

Draco looked at Luna and almost smiled. "Well, let's take him to St Mungo's then."

The healer nodded. "If I can use your floo, I'd like to call ahead so they can be prepared for him."

"Rinka." Draco called the elf. "Please escort Healer Ferguson to the floo to make a call."

"Yes, Master Draco." she led the healer from the room.

Luna smiled. "You can get his tests done."

"Yeah." Draco grinned. "And blame it on Bella." he patted Luna's hand. "Get some rest. I'm going to order the elves to make sure at least two of them stay with you at all times, and I've warded the room so that Bella can't get in."

She squeezed his hand. "Take care of our boy."

He handed her the other two potions, and then quickly packed a bag for Caelum.

"What's going on?" his mother asked.

"Bring Caelum." He motioned for her to follow him. "We're taking him to St Mungo's."

Her eyes widened but she hurried after him.

They met the elf and the healer coming back up the hallway.

"Everything will be ready when we get there." Ferguson informed him, turning to fall in line.

"Good." Draco nodded. "Rinka, make sure at least two of you stay with Luna at all times." he looked at his mother. "I've warded the nursery and my bedroom so that Bella can't get in."

"I don't know why you didn't do that before." Narcissa muttered.

"Because I hoped that one day, she might want to see her _son."_ Draco hissed.

Voldemort was with Lucius in the study when the group arrived to use the floo.

"My son has internal injuries and nerve damage." Draco snapped. "We're taking him to St Mungo's. Hopefully he will only have to stay a night or two."

"Bellatrix has been confined to her quarters until further notice." the Dark Lord informed them. "You are excused for this evening, Draco. I shall expect you to return to update me on the child's condition in the morning."

"Yes, my lord." Draco dipped his head to contain his smirk.


	18. Chapter 16

"My lord," Bellatrix rushed to kneel at his feet and clutch the bottom of his cloak. "I cannot express how sincerely I regret my actions."

Voldemort held down his hand and guided her to her feet. "I know you did not intend any harm to the child, Bella." he smirked. "However, your animosity toward the girl caused you to be unreasonably careless. The child could have been killed."

"I was not aware you were so fond of the child, my lord." she looked up at him curiously.

"He's the first Death Eater raised from the cradle. I'm interested to see how he turns out." Voldemort smirked. "He's also the key to Draco's heart. Draco will do anything I ask to ensure that child's wellbeing." His face instantly became serious, and he narrowed his eyes at her. "You will apologize to Draco. You will stay away from Miss Lovegood unless it is on my direct order that you do otherwise. You will never to anything to put that child, or any other child Draco may produce, in harm's way."

"Yes, my lord." Bella nodded vigorously. "Does this mean I am forgiven?"

"Not yet." He sneered. "Not until you've proven to me that your priority is your service to me, not your twisted games with your nephew and his concubine." He raised his wand. "Crucio!"

* * *

><p>"Draco," Voldemort nodded from his armchair throne. "I take it you have word on the child?"<p>

Draco bowed. "Yes, my lord." He rose at Voldemort's gesture. "The internal injuries have been addressed and are not expected to cause any lasting damage. However, the nerves in his legs were affected. Last week, Luna was trying to teach him to walk. Today his legs won't support his weight. The healer is giving him a potion for the nervous system damage. It's a very delicate matter with a child this small. He has to be very closely monitored. Hopefully he will be able to come home later this afternoon."

The Dark Lord's eyes bored into his servant's. "But can they fix him or will the child be crippled?"

"No my lord," Draco answered quickly. "His legs still work; it's just that they have to repair the nerves, so that they communicate correctly with his brain. The healers feel this is only a setback. Ferguson is going to come here when Caelum comes home to teach Luna some exercises to do with him, to help strengthen his legs. Ferguson also stated that the child's mental development and abilities are far above average for his age."

"It is well and good that the child is intelligent, Draco. Honestly, I would expect no less from your son. However, what good is a brilliant mind in a crippled body?" Voldemort leaned forward. "You wouldn't lie to me about the child's progress, would you?"

"No, my lord." Draco met Voldemort's stare calmly.

"Good. Because I should be most disappointed if you did so." The Dark Lord smirked. "You may go upstairs and see Luna. Afterwards, Bellatrix would like to apologize to you." Draco couldn't hide his shock. "Yes, and I expect you to see her. You will go on the raid tonight, unless there is a significant decline in the child's condition, in which case I expect you to notify me immediately." He waved his hand to indicate that Draco was dismissed.

He forced himself to walk calmly from the room, but took the stairs two at a time to get to the nursery. He paused for a moment, as Rinka and Mimsy were helping a wet haired Luna who was shaking uncontrollably back into bed.

"Are you cold?" he demanded, crossing over to her bed in a few long strides.

"Draco." she looked up and smiled. "Where's Caelum?"

"He's still at St Mungo's. I came to report to the Dark Lord and check on you." he sat on the edge of the bed, pressing a hand against her forehead. "Why are you shivering like that?"

"Oh." she shrugged. "I thought I was feeling better, so I decided to take a bath. Maybe I wasn't quite ready to be out of bed yet."

He shook his head. "You've got to take care of yourself. Caelum will be back tomorrow and he will need you."

"Professor Snape is coming in a little while to check on me." her shaking hand reached up to catch his as he pulled it away from her face.

Draco frowned. "Doesn't he have to be at the school?"

"It's Saturday." she shrugged. "I guess even the headmaster is entitled to a break sometimes." she squeezed his hand. "Now. Tell me about Caelum."

He flicked his wand to silence the room, and dismissed the house elves before answering her. "He's going to be fine. I exaggerated his injuries so the Dark Lord wouldn't question him staying at St Mungo's. They've done some tests on him, and they're going to do a few more. The healers didn't think he would learn to talk, because the part of his brain that controls his mouth and tongue movement was damaged. He had a terrible time learning to drink a bottle. But now they're saying that part of his brain has healed more than they expected. He probably will learn to talk, but maybe not as clearly as other children. And it may get better as it gets older. We really just don't know right now." he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "His motor skills are not as good as they had hoped. In fact, he's worse than what they had thought he would be. They're doing some more tests this afternoon, but from what they're seeing now, he's as much as a year away from being able to walk, even with assistance." He pulled away from her physically and mentally, drawing his hand away to sketches shapes on her quilt, not meeting her eyes.

"Voldemort's not going to be patient that long, will he?" She asked softly,sliding her head over, trying to see his face.

"I doubt it." he snorted. "I told him that Bella damaged Caelum's nerves in his legs. Ferguson's going to show us some exercises to do with him, to try to strengthen his muscles. But the Dark Lord already made a comment about him being useless if he was crippled."

She laid her hand on his. "He's not useless, even if he never learns to walk at all."

"He's bloody brilliant." Draco finally looked at her again. "They said his cognitive development is well off the charts. They don't have any method to measure intelligence in a child that young, but they said when he's older, they have no doubts he would test in the genius range."

She smiled. "Look how quickly he's picked up the sign language. It's his way of compensating for something else that he's not able to do yet, talking. We just have to work with him until we find a way for him to compensate not being able to walk."

He nodded. "I hope we can keep things going that long." he sighed and patted her hand. "The Dark Lord says I have to go let Bella apologize to me before I go back to the hospital. And I'm supposed to be back to go on the raid tonight. Get some rest. I'll see you after while." he smoothed her still damp hair from her face and stood. "Rinka!"

"Yes, Master Draco." the little elf popped in.

"Dry her hair before she gets pneumonia." Draco barked as he left the roof.

He wound his way through the Manor to the suite in the northeast wing. He had only been there a few times, as Bella had preferred his room for some reason. Still, he had to take several deep breaths and wished he had stopped for a shot of firewhiskey to quell the panic that rose at the thought of being in the room alone with her. He leaned his head against the door and counted to ten before he forced himself to knock.

"Come in." her voice called.

He entered the room, slamming the door behind him. "The Dark Lord says you want to apologize." He crossed his arms and glared at her.

She approached him slowly, wringing her hands. This was not the Bella he knew.

"Is the child all right?" she asked nervously.

"His _name _is Caelum. Caelum Abraxas Malfoy. He is your own child, and you have never called him by his name." he spat at her in contempt.

"I didn't name him." she said softly.

"No, I did!" he roared. "You wanted him to die, remember? He wasn't good enough for you, so you didn't even give him a name. After everything you put me through to get him, you just threw him away!"

He didn't say aloud "just like you did me." but they both heard it.

"I'm sorry Draco." she walked up to him shyly, holding her hand out.

"Don't touch me!" he growled. "I hate you!"

"You don't really hate me." she murmured, taking another step toward him.

"You used me." he answered hoarsely, unable to meet her intense gaze. "You ruined my fucking life because you thought you could make the Dark Lord love you. You didn't care what it did to me."

"I gave you Caelum." her dark eyes were wide, pleading.

"I didn't want to have a baby! I wanted to finish being a teenager! I certainly didn't want a child whose parentage has to be hidden!" he raged. "I didn't want to be forced to have sex. Especially not with my aunt." he added softly.

"But we were so good together." she whispered. "I was pretty sure I was pregnant for a good two weeks before I finally tested because I didn't want to give you up." she reached up and cupped his face.

He turned his head, pushing her hand away with his "Do you have any idea how fucking sick that is?"

"I didn't mean to hurt Caelum." she tilted her head at him. "I was so angry when you said I had been replaced. You and I are part of each other. I just wanted to hurt the girl."

"You and I are nothing to each other. My mother said I adored you when I was a baby, before you went to Azkaban. I don't remember that. But I do remember what you've done to me since you've been back, and you've destroyed any normal family relationship that existed." he glared at her. "I want you to just stay the fuck away from all of us. Me, Caelum, Luna, and my mother."

"Please don't be angry at me, Draco. The Dark Lord is angry with me..."

"And you think that my forgiveness is going to get you back into the Dark Lord's favor?" he shouted. "Do you ever fucking stop?"

He turned and started to leave the room.

"Draco."

He paused, with the door slightly open.

"What, Bella?" he sighed.

"Can I see him?" she moved so silently he didn't realize she was behind him until he felt her hand on his back. "Can I see our son?"

"No way in hell!" he snarled, slipping through the door and slamming it behind him.

His mother stood at the end of the hall, and silently pointed him into an empty bedchamber. He obediently went in, and she locked and silenced the door behind them.

"What's wrong?" he asked. "Why are you here instead of at St Mungo's?"

"You were supposed to be back half an hour ago." she pointed out. "I came to make sure nothing had happened to you."

"Who's with Caelum?" he demanded.

"Rinka." she held up her hand as he started to speak. "It's fine, he's sleeping. Mimsy is with Luna, who is asleep as well."

He nodded.

"I heard that Bella wanted to apologize." he rolled his eyes. "Are you all right?" she asked gently.

"Do you think I'm all right? Oh yeah, I'm absolutely fucking wonderful." he snorted and turned toward the door.

"Draco." his mother placed her hand on his back just as her sister had.

He lost it.

"She has played fucking games with my life for almost two years!" he whirled to face her. "She slept with me when I begged her not to and wouldn't stop and when I started accepting it and thinking of it as a relationship, she was done with me because she was pregnant and that was all she really wanted from me! Then she has our son, and she has nothing to do with him! She's never even held him! She's never called him by his name before today! She is only trying to make amends now because the Dark Lord isn't speaking to her. She still doesn't care about Caelum. She wants the Dark Lord. No one else's feelings mean anything!"

Narcissa sighed and slid her arms around him, laying her cheek against his chest. He stiffened and didn't hug her back.

"Sweetheart, you never wanted that kind of a relationship with her. You only started thinking of it that way so you could deal with what she was doing to you. I wish I had known. I never would have let it go on." she raised her head and looked up at him. "She's not the person she was before the Dark Lord came into her life. You're not going to fix her. The best thing would be to just move on with your life and put all this behind you. You have Caelum..."

He jerked away from her. "Don't you get it? I'm going to lose Caelum! If the Dark Lord wins, the best I can hope for is to send him away and never see him again. Otherwise, the Dark Lord's going to kill him when he finds out Caelum can't walk!"

"If Potter wins..." she began.

He cut her off. "If Potter wins, I'm going to Azkaban."

"You don't know that..."

"Would you quit deluding yourself?" he snapped, as he opened the door and stormed out of the room.

He returned to the nursery, not willing to go downstairs and face anyone else. One he was inside, he was hit with a sharp ache in his chest at seeing the empty crib. He threw Mimsy out of the room, locking the door so that no one could get in.

He kicked the chair over and snatched the lamp off the desk, flinging it against the wall.

"Draco?" Luna sat up, blinking at him in sleepy confusion.

"My life is completely fucked!" he spat. "Why shouldn't yours be?" he stomped over, grabbed her by the arm, and dragged her off the bed, shoving her to the floor at his feet. "Get on your knees, bitch." he hissed. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, gripping the headboard with white knuckles.

A moment later, his eyes popped back open. "What the fuck are you waiting for?"

Luna knelt before him, looking up without a trace of fear or anger. "I'm sorry, Draco, but I don't know what you want me to do."

He stared at her for a long moment, then shook his head. He turned and practically ran from the room. He would have slammed the door in her face but she caught it. She followed him to the top of the stairs, even though she was holding onto the walls to keep from falling.

"Draco." she called.

He didn't stop.

"I don't want to talk to you right now, Luna!" he shouted over his shoulder.

He wasn't paying attention, and ran headlong into his godfather at the bottom of the stairs. Uncle Sev grabbed his arm and pulled him into an empty sitting room.

"The walls you surround yourself with may be intended for your own protection, but they also block out what would heal you." Snape drawled.

"What the fuck ever." Draco snarled. "You're a fine one to talk, Mr. Bitter Recluse Potions Master. You of all people should understand. If what you told me was true, someone ruined your life the same way Bella has done to mine."

Snape grabbed the front of Draco's shirt and pulled him in until their noses were almost touching. "I ruined my own life when I threw away the one person who could have saved me."

He shoved Draco away and stormed from the room.

Draco backed away until his back hit the wall. He sank to the floor, wrapped his arms around his knees, and sobbed.


	19. Chapter 17

Draco slowly drifted back to consciousness. He was warm and felt safe, which was rare over the past two years.

He opened scratchy eyes to peer into fading light. He was still in the blue sitting room, laying on the floor with a blanket over him. His head was in someone's lap, and the person was stroking his hair.

He looked up into Luna's unreadable expression.

"What time is it?" he rasped.

"Almost five. You've been asleep for nearly three hours." she answered mildly.

He sat up. "I was supposed to be back with Caelum..."

She laid a hand on his arm. "Your mother will be here with him in a little while. He's coming home."

The earlier events flooded back to him, and he pulled his arm away. "I'm sorry." he said to a spot on the floor to his left. "About what I did earlier. That was completely..." he trailed off.

"Draco, I'm sorry. I didn't know what you wanted me to do. You told me to get on my knees but you were waiting for me to do something else." she tilted her head on him.

His face flushed and he continued to stare at the floor on his other side. "I was going to force you to give me a blow job."

"Oh." was all she said.

"Do you even know what that is?" he shoved the heels of his hands against his eyes and rested his elbows on his knees.

"Yes. Lavender Brown told the Patil twins and me how much Ronald..."

He clamped his hands over his ears. "Do _NOT_ tell me about Weaslbee's love life."

She waited until he dropped his hands. "Do you still need me to do that for you?" she asked softly.

The blood rushed to his groin. "No." he hissed.

She looked at him with one eyebrow raised, but didn't say anything.

"It wasn't about the sexual part of it." he sighed, leaning his head back against the wall. "It was about power. I was hurting and I wanted to lash out and hurt something or someone else."

She shifted, moving just a fraction of an inch closer to him. "Hurting someone else doesn't transfer the pain you're feeling. It creates more pain."

"The first night you went down to dinner, when Uncle Sev told me something using legilemency and I didn't tell you what it was?" she nodded. "That was it. He said that hurting someone else because I was hurting would only end up hurting me more. And he was right."

"Teenagers like to think they have all the answers." she reached over and held his hand. "But they really should listen to adults more, because many times the adults have already made those mistakes."

They sat in silence for a while.

"Luna." he finally spoke.

"Yes, Draco?"

He looked at their intertwined hands, then at her face for the first time since he had asked about Caelum. "I promise I will never do anything like what happened earlier again. I will never force you to do anything you don't want to." His face was a desperate plea. "Please don't leave me."

"I'll be by your side as long as you want me there." she promised.

He stood, slowly drawing her to her feet. She was still unsteady.

"How did you get down here?" he asked.

"Professor Snape loaded me up with replenishing potion and then helped me down the stairs. He said you didn't need to be alone when you woke up. He warded the doors so no one would want to come in and put up a silencing charm." she looked up at him with concern. "You had been crying. A lot."

"Yeah." he nodded, not meeting her eyes.

"That's good, Draco. Tears wash out your soul." she took his arm and allowed him to lead her up to the nursery.

He settled her into a chair and called for Rinka to bring dinner. The tray had just been delivered when his mother walked in with Caelum.

"Duh! Me!" the baby cried, holding out his arms.

"Hey Caelum." Draco took his son from Narcissa.

Caelum held his father's shirt with one hand and reached the other toward Luna. His grandmother smiled and flicked her wand at the chair, widening it so Draco could sit beside Luna. Caelum grinned as Draco placed him half on his and half on Luna's lap. He looked from one to the other and babbled.

"Did you really do all those things at the hospital?" Luna asked, eyes wide.

Caelum continued to chatter and pointed at the spot on his arm where they had drawn blood, frowning. Luna kissed the little arm, then held it out to Draco, who kissed it as well. The baby brightened and continued his story.

Narcissa smiled. "You were the same way. Telling me all about everything long before you could talk."

Caelum looked up at her wide eyed and tilted his head, just like Luna did. Narcissa ruffled his hair.

"He's excited to be home, but he should sleep well. He didn't get much of a nap, with the tests, and they gave him a good bit of potions before they sent him home." she kissed the child's forehead. "I'll see you all in the morning."

Caelum turned his head to follow her as she left the room and spotted the tray on the desk.

"Mmmmmm!" he pointed.

Draco laughed. "Were they feeding my poor boy hospital food?"

He stood and put Caelum in his high chair. They fed him dinner, and afterwards put him on the floor with a few toys.

"Duh!" he said, and when Draco looked at him, he rocked back and forth.

"Are you ready to be rocked to sleep?" Draco asked, picking him up and settling in the chair.

Caelum made his angry noise, rocked back and forth again, and then pointed at his rocking horse.

"You want to ride your horse?" Draco carried him over to the toy and seated him on it. The baby laughed as Draco helped him rock back and forth.

"Luna, you're going to have to take over here. I've got to get ready to go." Draco switched off with her.

By the time Draco was dressed, Caelum was yawning broadly and his eyes were drooping. Luna's were as well. The child didn't protest when his father lifted him off the horse.

"I think you and mummy both need to get some rest. You're both better, but neither one of you are back to yourselves yet." he looked over at Luna who nodded.

He kissed his son's cheek, and handed him to Luna. "The elves are nearby in case you need them. I don't know if you remember my telling you yesterday, but I've warded the room so Bella can't get in." she nodded. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

He paused at the doorway, taking one last look over his shoulder at his son and the woman who held him. "Don't wait up tonight."

* * *

><p>The raid was over relatively early. Draco was home a little after 1am. As had become his habit, he went straight to the nursery.<p>

Luna and Caelum weren't there.

He took a deep breath and willed down the panic that threatened to overwhelm him. Surely if something had happened, his mother or one of the elves would have been waiting for him downstairs.

In the dim light, he spotted a sheet of parchment on the desk. He lit his wand and snatched up the note.

_Draco,_

_I'm sorry, but Caelum had a bit of a meltdown after you left. The only way I could get him to sleep was to put him in your bed. I'm going to lay down with him because I don't want to leave him in there alone. Wake me when you get home and I'll go to my bed. _

_Luna._

Draco rushed over and threw open his bedroom door. Caelum was in the middle of the bed, tummy down, knees drawn under him with his little bum sticking up in the air, his favorite sleeping position. Luna lay on the left side of the bed on her side facing the baby, hair spread out across the pillow. Draco sighed in relief.

He showered quickly, and returned to the bedroom to find neither of the occupants of his bed had moved. They were tired and still not feeling well. They had left his spot open. There was no point in waking either of them.

Draco crawled in on the right side of the bed.

* * *

><p>"Duh!" Draco awakened to a tiny hand persistently patting his cheek. "Duh!"<p>

He squinted his eyes open. "Good morning Caelum."

"Duh!" the baby repeated. Draco managed to raise his head from the pillow. The baby pointed to the figure on the other side of the bed. "Me!" he laughed.

"Yes, mummy is in bed with us. And I understand it was your doing, you rotten little monster." he groaned.

Caelum giggled again. "Me!" He leaned over to place a slurpy kiss on Luna's cheek and fell over in the process. Luna pulled him to her and smacked loud kisses all over his face, making him squeal in delight.

"What time is it?" Draco pulled the pillow halfway over his head.

"Twenty minutes to seven." Luna smiled.

"Are you sure that's my kid?" Draco muttered.

Luna rolled over, depositing Caelum on his daddy's chest. The child squealed again, smacking Draco's bare chest with his hand.

"Mmmmmmm!" he informed Draco.

"Fine." his father grumbled. "You get breakfast, I get caffeine."

"Rinka." Luna called for the elf as Draco stumbled to the bathroom. By the time he was out, she still had not appeared.

Luna shrugged. "It's early yet. Breakfast may not be ready." She sat in the rocking chair with Caelum, hesitant to put him in the high chair until the food had arrived.

Draco shook his head. "I guarantee my father has already eaten. Rinka!" he called more sharply.

Instead, Mimsy popped into the room.

"Mimsy is so sorry. Rinka is to helping Mistress Cissy and Sir Snape with prisoners. Mimsy will get tray, but Mimsy not know what to bring." the fat elf wrung her hands and nervously shifted from one foot to the other.

"Has something happened to the prisoners?" Luna asked, her face paling.

Mimsy tugged on her ear. "The bad wolf, he went to dungeon last night. The brown boy is much bleeding."

Draco's knuckles whitened on the arms of the chair. "Did the motherfucker bite the boy?"

"No, not bite." the elf hugged herself. "Hurt in bad ways. Hurt in his pants."

Draco swore. "I'll come with you, Mimsy. I'll show you what goes on our tray in case you need to bring it another time."

She waddled over to him, taking his hand and popping both of them out of the room.

Ten minutes later, he returned through the door with their usual breakfast tray plus some applesauce for Caelum and the Daily Prophet. He settled into his chair with his tea and the paper. Luna tore off a small piece of toast and handed it to the child, who promptly popped it into his mouth with a noise that sounded like "um."

"Is that yummy?" Luna asked softly.

The baby grinned and reached for another piece.

Draco stopped pretending to read the paper.

"He's trying to say yummy?" he asked in amazement.

Caelum grinned at his father, holding up another bite of toast. "Um!"

Draco took the piece of toast, waving it around, pretending to eat it, before handing it back to Caelum. "You are such a smart boy!"

Rinka burst into the room, nearly in tears.

"What's wrong? Is it Dean?" Luna asked the little house elf who was obviously in distress.

"Rinka must put this in Missy Luna's tea every morning." the elf held a bottle of potion. "It is very important. Rinka must not forget."

Draco frowned. "What is it?"

"Contraceptive potion. Mistress Cissy said Missy Luna is a beautiful young lady and Master Draco is a healthy young man who does not need any more babies until he is properly wed."

Luna burst into laughter, a high, tinkling sound that made Caelum laugh too. Draco bit down on his lip and frowned.

Luna smiled at the elf. "I will take the potion, Rinka. We're sorry. We didn't know. We didn't mean to get you in trouble."

Rinka's whole body shuddered in relief. She opened the bottle, and measured a spoonful into a cup of tea, which Luna dutifully sipped from.

"You don't have to take that." Draco growled.

Luna shrugged. "It won't hurt me."

The little elf practically skipped from the room.

Draco looked at Luna. "I'm sorry. My mother is a meddling..."

"Your mother is sweet," Luna shook her head. "She obviously cares about you very much."

"But she overstepped her bounds on this one, and it was totally unnecessary." Draco fumed.

"But it is funny," Luna winked at Draco, offering another piece of toast to Caelum.

"It's not funny." Draco insisted. He realized Luna had no idea about the plan Voldemort had for them. "But you're right, it won't hurt you to take it."

They finished their breakfast in silence. As Rinka came to take the tray away, Luna turned to Draco.

"Is there any way to keep them from assaulting Dean?" she asked softly.

"I wish there was." Draco said, staring at the carpet, on the verge of withdrawing into himself. "I'll keep working on it."


	20. Chapter 18

Narcissa came to have luncheon with Luna while Draco was summoned to the Dark Lord. The younger woman expertly wrangled the wiggling child into the highchair, and strapped him in.

"You're very good with him." Narcissa praised. "You'll make a wonderful mother one day."

"But not any time soon," Luna said sweetly, but with a hint of Draco's favorite smirk on her lips.

Narcissa raised her eyebrows.

"Rinka told us about my daily potion," Luna winked at her.

Narcissa had the grace to blush slightly.

"Yes, well, Draco is a good father, but he needs to be married and established before he has any more children." She looked down into her teacup.

"I thought it was a very ... motherly thing to do. That you obviously care about your son's well being very much." Luna smiled conspiratorily. "Draco however, was not exactly amused."

Narcissa giggled, a sound Luna was sure she had not made in some time. "He is so much like his father. I knew he wouldn't be pleased." Narcissa winked. "But I'm his mother. I don't have to ask for permission."

Luna sighed. "But you don't have anything to worry about."

Narcissa looked at her curiously, waiting for her to continue.

"There's nothing like that going on between us. He's apparently ... damaged, for lack of a better word, by what happened with Caelum's mother. He will barely let me touch him at all. I don't mean in a sexual type of way. I mean, if I try to hand something to him and our fingers connect, he jerks away from me. He's very ... withdrawn. And he has nightmares several nights per week." Luna frowned, as if unsure she should be telling these things.

"Yes he is damaged and withdrawn," his mother said sadly. "But you've gotten closer to him in the short time you've been here than anyone else has in the past two years. He's been through things that no one should ever have to go through. I've tried to help him and he won't let me, so I've been hoping that one day he will let you in."

* * *

><p>"Mother," he hissed. "Why are you feeding Luna fucking contraceptive potion?"<p>

She arched one thin eyebrow at him. "I should think it would be rather obvious."

"You know the Dark Lord expects me to produce a child with her!" he growled. "What happens when she doesn't get pregnant? I already have a child. He's going to think there's something wrong with her and what would stop him from killing her?"

"He wouldn't kill her, because she's still good for taking care of Caelum, even if she doesn't produce another child." she folded her arms. "But from what Luna tells me, you're not going to get her pregnant whether she's on contraceptive potion or not. Because you haven't touched her."

He huffed. "It's really none of your fucking business."

"Have you even told her what the Dark Lord wants?" she pursed her lips.

He continued to glare at her.

"I didn't think so." his mother leaned closer. "Luna is a smart girl. She will help you. But you have to trust her."

"I don't trust anyone." he snarled.

"I know." she shook her head sadly. "Draco, don't be this way."

Those words fell from her lips, and suddenly he wasn't in his mother's private sitting room in his parents' suite.

_He and Auntie Bella were in the solarium, and it was her voice speaking the words._

_"Be like what?" he frowned. "Last night was the first night you haven't been to my room since I received my Mark. I asked why."_

_"How many times have yot told me that you didn't want to fuck me?" she taunted, her eyes dark and flashing. "So I stop and now you want me?"_

_He paused. She was right, but it something about it felt all off, as if there was something he was missing. "I didn't say I wanted you to. I want to know why you didn't. After all, as *you* pointed out, all those times I begged you not to, you never listened to me."_

_She smirked and her hands curved around her belly. "You don't have to fuck me any more. At least not for the next year or so. Don't you see, Draco? I've been the Dark Lord's most faithful follower for all these years. He has chosen *you* as the first and best of the third generation. Our child will naturally be the first and best of the fourth generation. The Dark Lord..."_

_"What the fuck?" he roared. "Everything you've put me through for the last three months was so you could get pregnant with my child to ingratiate yourself back in with the Dark Lord?" he shoved his hand through his hair._

_"Don't pretend you weren't enjoying it." she hissed. "You shouted my name when you were about to come. I know exactly where that spot is under your balls that makes you arch off the bed. I know exactly the right pressure you like from my mouth..."_

_"Whatever!" he shouted. "Fine, I've come every night we've been together. Sometimes more than once. But just because you could make me come, doesn't mean that I wanted you to. But that's all that you wanted from me? A kid?"_

_She leered at him suggestively. "I never said I didn't get as much out of it as you did. You're by far the best sex I've ever had in my life. Maybe we'll pick things up again after he's born. Maybe even a second son one day. Malfoys make lots of boys, you know." she blatantly stared at his groin. "There hasn't been a Malfoy to have a firstborn daughter in over 300 years. He's going to be the greatest wizard in history after the Dark Lord. He will..."_

_"He will be ridiculed because of who his parents are!" Draco interrupted. "Have you gone so far around the bend that you now think that it's acceptable to have a child through incest?"_

_"No one will dare say a word." she snapped. "The Dark Lord would..." _

_"Get rid of it." he growled._

_"What?" her eyes went wide. _

_"You heard me." he glared at her. _

_"No." she answered calmly. _

_"I don't want a kid at this point in my life. And I certainly don't want anyone knowing I knocked up my *aunt*. Get rid of it." he put his hands on his hips and stepped forward menacingly. _

_She huffed and folded her arms. "You're acting like you have some kind of say in this."_

_"My sperm." he rolled his eyes. "The kid is half mine. I don't want it. Get rid of it." _

_"Too late." she told him in a sing song voice and laughed. "I've already told the Dark Lord and he is pleased with my gift." she moved away to sit on the side of the bed. "You're going to be a father whether you like it or not."_

_"I can fix that." he snarled. "All it would take would be a pillow over the brat's face."_

_She paled. "You wouldn't dare." _

_"Try me and see." he cocked an eyebrow at her._

_"I'll kill you if..."_

"Draco!" his mother was shaking him and shouting.

He jerked away from her and surged to his feet, sending the tea tray flying. He ran down the stairs, across the main corridor to the stairs leading to his wing, taking them two at a time.

He burst into the nursery, grabbing up his son who was playing on the floor. He collapsed next to Luna, burying his face in the child's neck and sobbing.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I love you. I won't hurt you." he murmured between crying jags.

Caelum whimpered "Me." and reached for Luna, looking at Draco uncertainly.

She scooted closer and put her arms around both of them. "You're frightening him." she whispered.

She tried to pry Caelum out of his father's grip.

"I didn't mean it. I swear I didn't mean it." he repeated holding onto the baby for dear life.

"I know you wouldn't hurt him." she soothed. "Caelum knows how much you love him."

She looked up to find his mother in the doorway, looking as lost and confused as Luna felt.

"Whatever happened, it's in the past. Whatever happened back then, we know you wouldn't hurt him now." Luna stoked his hair with one hand, laying the other reassuringly on Caelum's back.

Narcissa was kneeling on Draco's other side. "I didn't mean to upset you, sweetheart." she kissed him temple. "Let me hold Caelum while you calm down."

Draco loosened his grip on the child, kissing his forehead first. "I would die for you. I mean it. I won't ever hurt you." he whispered.

"I'm going to take him to the garden." Narcissa said, quickly but calmly escaping with her grandson.

"I wanted him dead." he said as much to himself as to her. "I said I would smother him with a pillow."

"Oh, Draco." she pulled his head against her shoulder. "I know you didn't mean it."

"I just wanted it all to go away. I didn't want to have a baby with her." his breath came in shuddering hiccups.

"There's a lot of difference between the idea of having a baby and the reality of it. You didn't know him. You didn't realize how much you would love him. You were just afraid." she continued to stroke his hair gently as that seemed to calm him.

"Fear is weakness." he repeated as if by rote. "I'm a Malfoy. We are not weak."

"Everyone is afraid sometimes." she reached over and entwined their fingers. "It's okay to be afraid. I'll hold your hand."

For the second time that afternoon, Draco was plunged into a memory.

_Draco stood in front of the Quidditch shop in Dartmere, wiping away the tears as fast as they came, clutching his toy broom._

_A tall lady with reddish-blond hair knelt in front of him. She held the hand of a little girl dressed in pink, her blond hair in two braids with pink ribbons._

_"Poppet, have you lost your mummy?" the lady asked._

_He nodded. "My father is sick and she needed some shrivelfig. She said surely they would have it here and there was no need to go all the way to Diagon Alley. We were walking along and I stopped to look in the window and then she was gone!" he wailed._

_"We'll find her." the lady said. "We'll go to the apothecary, and if your mother isn't still there, surely the shopkeeper will know who she is. Luna, take his hand."_

_The little girl reached over and took his hand. "Hello." she smiled. "What's your name?"_

_"Draco." he answered, "It means Dragon in Latin."_

_"That's a very nice name." she said. "How old are you?"_

_"I'll be five next month." he drew himself up, as five was a very big boy, of course._

_"You're very tall." she tilted her head at him._

_"My father says..." he trailed off, suddenly realizing that if he couldn't find his mother, he couldn't go home to his father either._

_"You don't have to be scared." the little girl told him. "We will find your mother."_

_"I'm not scared!" he insisted. "My father says that being scared is weak. I'm a Malfoy. We're not weak."_

_"Everyone is scared sometimes." she informed him matter of factly. "But it's okay. I'll hold your hand."_

"It was you." he breathed.

"What was me?" she asked.

"When I was little, I got lost in Dartmere. You and your mother took me to my mother. You told me it was okay to be afraid because you would hold my hand."

"I did?" she frowned, thinking. "I thought that was a dream."

"It was real." he stared at her wide eyed. "I begged to go back to Dartmere and find you for a long time. I wanted you to be my friend."

Luna giggled. "You finally found me. And I'm already your friend."

* * *

><p>AN - Sorry about the delay in updating. I've been on vacation for the past several days. I got to meet Tom Felton at MegaCon on Saturday! He was very sweet and charming. I keep telling myself "He is not Draco Malfoy." because otherwise I would feel really bad about all the awful things I'm doing to Draco in this story.


	21. Chapter 19

"And this is a crumple horned snorkack." Luna sat at the desk, Caelum on her lap, sketching on a piece of parchment."They're very shy. One day my daddy and I are going to Sweden and find them." Caelum babbled and pointed at the picture. "Well yes, of course, you can come along if you'd like."

He walked over, ruffling his son's hair and giving Luna a half hearted smile. Caelum babbled what they supposed was a greeting, the only part of it recognizable was "Duh."

He picked up the tea Rinka had set out for him and draped himself across the chair, watching them. Luna finished her drawing, then put Caelum on the floor with some toys. She pulled her chair closer to Draco.

"Something is bothering you." she looked at him with her usual imperturbable expression. "You can tell me if you're ready to talk about it."

He looked into her wide, dreamy eyes that saw much more than anyone knew, and realized it was pointless to lie to her.

"I need to tell you something." Draco told her. "The Dark Lord has given me another long term task."

"Did he ask you to kill someone?" she noticed he wasn't meeting her eyes.

"He wants me to have a child with you." he said, still staring at a spot on the floor between them.

"Oh."

The silence stretched out after that one word, broken only by the sound of the baby playing in the floor.

Finally she spoke again. "I'm sorry."

"What?" he frowned, looking up at her. "No, it's not because of you. Don't you realize? We're not talking about him taking a favorite toy here. He wants us to have an innocent baby, a real, living, breathing, thinking, feeling human being, and hand it over so he can make it like him."

She reached over and took his hand. "I know you're doing everything you can to find a way around this. And I will help you." she reached over and tipped his head up to look at her. "But if it comes to the point that there's no other way to keep us safe, I will have your baby."

He shook his head. "Luna, you're too young. You're not even seventeen yet! And this is not something that will just go away when the war ends! You'll be the mother of a Death Eater's child for the rest of your life!"

She glanced over at Caelum and back at Draco. "I'll be seventeen in less than a week, and I'm raising a Death Eater's child now. You're not telling me that we have to do this right this minute, so we still have time. We're in a war. Things change every day. It's not written in stone that we have to do this. So what are you not telling me that has you so upset?"

"If we have another child," he looked over at Caelum as well. "chances are that he will be healthy, and it's going to bring into focus Caelum's deficits."

"And the Dark Lord will realize how Caelum is behind, and not progressing as he should." she supplied for him.

"Yeah." he ground out before clenching his jaw.

She wrapped her other hand around, so that his big hand was held in both of her small ones. "We'll do what we have to do when the time comes." she promised. "Now. I want you to get dressed. I want you to do something for me."

"What?" he arched an eyebrow in suspicion.

"Take me down to see Dean and Mr. Ollivander." she smiled as if this was the most normal request.

"Why?" he questioned.

"Do it, please, and I'll explain after while."

Draco led Luna down the stairs, complaining the whole way.

"Are you trying to get yourself thrown back in the dungeon?" he grumbled.

"No."

"You know I can't let them out." He continued.

"I know." She answered.

"We are not supposed to be down here." He kept on.

"You worry too much." She smiled at him.

They reached the bottom of the stairs, and he opened the door, casting light into the lamps.

Dean was instantly on his feet in a defensive position. Mr. Ollivander barely turned his head to look at them.

"Hello, Dean. We've just come to visit. Mr. Ollivander, how are you today?" she walked over and knelt beside the old man.

The wandmaker said something to her in return, so softly Draco couldn't catch it. He stayed by the door, closing it and remaining alert.

Dean stood ten feet away, watching Draco, looking as wary and uneasy as Draco felt.

"What are you doing down here, Malfoy?" the other boy hissed. "Come to torture us a little more?"

"No." Draco shook his head. "Luna wanted to come see you. I just came to make sure she was all right."

"Why would you even care?" Dean sneered. "She's a blood traitor. She's not even human."

"I'm a Death Eater." Draco snarked back. "Neither am I."

The two of them resumed their silent staring contest.

"Draco." Luna called.

He crossed to her side in two long strides, worried that something was terribly wrong. To his amazement, both she and the old man were smiling.

"We were just talking about when I got my wand." She looked up at Draco. "Do you remember when you got yours?"

Draco frowned. "Did he tell you already?"

"No." Luna smiled, realizing there must be a story behind his question.

"I went in determined I wanted a wand just like my father's." he began. "But Mr. Ollivander handed me one made of the same materials as my mother's. As soon as it touched my hand, the wand hummed and sparks flew from the end. But I insisted on trying about a dozen that were like my father's before I finally accepted that the first one was the perfect one." He smiled at the old man, who nodded.

"You may look like your father, but your magical core is much, much different." Ollivander informed him. "Luna was more difficult to reconcile. I knew her wand must be as unique as she was. We tried all of the more unusual wands on my shelves. I think we went through about eighteen or twenty before we found the proper match."

"Do you remember every wand?" Dean asked softly. Draco hadn't realized Dean had followed him over when Luna called.

"I've probably forgotten a few over the years, as there have been so many. But I remember most of them. I remember you were so uncertain, Dean. You weren't raised around magic and were skeptical about the whole idea of wands." the old man smiled sadly. "Your father was so excited to get his. But of course that was when he was young, long before he became disillusioned and bitter toward the magical world."

Dean nodded sadly, and Ollivander went on telling them more wand stories. After an hour, which passed before Draco realized, Luna stood.

"We have to get back upstairs before Draco is missed." she told Dean and Mr. Ollivander. "But we'll try to come visit again soon." She removed several potion vials from her pocket and passed them to Dean. "Hide the bottles behind that loose stone I showed you."

Draco caught a glimpse of Dreamless Sleep and Anti-Cruciatus before Dean slipped the potions into his pocket. "You raided my mother's potion pantry."

Luna smiled blandly at him. "The potions are for household use. And they're living in the household."

"You've been hanging around Slytherins too much." Draco shook his head.

"Mr Ollivander gets cold at night." Dean said to Luna. "Do you think you could maybe arrange another blanket for him?"

Luna turned to Draco. "Mr. Ollivander needs a blanket."

Draco nodded. "I'll see that he gets one."

"Could Dean have some old newspapers? He likes to follow the football and quidditch scores." she pressed on.

Draco nodded and was momentarily taken aback by the hopeful expression on the boy's face. What had they been reduced to, if a blanket and an old newspaper could bring so much joy.

He led her out of the dungeons and back upstairs, not speaking until they were in the safety of the locked and silenced nursery.

"Now do you want to tell me what that was all about?" he asked.

"They're nothing to be afraid of, are they?" she answered.

"What?" he looked genuinely puzzled.

"It's much easier to hate and fear what you don't understand." she explained. "You never associated with Dean at school, and I'm betting you never spoke with Mr. Ollivander other than the day you got your wand."

"And your point is?" The look on his face betrayed the fact he had an idea where she was going with this and didn't like it.

"Why are they in the dungeon, Draco?" she tilted her head.

"Because they're prisoners. The Dark Lord keeps Mr. Ollivander for the information he can provide, and" he trailed off with a frown. "... I don't really know why he keeps Dean. I guess in case he ever needs to trade him for one of ours if someone gets captured."

"But now you're see that they're people. Mr. Ollivander lives and breathes wands. Dean loves sports. They can both carry on interesting conversations." Luna looked up at Draco. "Dean doesn't deserve what Greyback did to him."

"No one deserves that." Draco answered, not meeting her eyes.

"No, no one does." she looked at him, and suddenly Draco couldn't breathe.

He jumped up and stomped over to stare out the window. Luna of course followed.

"They don't deserve to be locked away like zoo animals." she reached for his hand, but he jerked away.

"I can't let them go, Luna." he growled. "You'd be talking about a death sentence for all of us."

"I know." she looked at him with those wide eyes. "I just wanted you to see them as I see them. It was much easier to be afraid of the Death Eaters before I lived here. But your mother and Mrs. Goyle can be very kind, and your mother is very talented as a healer. Mr. Nott is very intelligent and has a delightful sense of humor. He's very much like his son. Or rather, his son would be very much like him, I suppose."

"When did you get to know either of the Notts?" Draco's brow creased.

She shrugged. "Theo was actually nice to me at school. When Pansy took my things and said the nargles had stolen them, he would swipe them from her and return them to me. And when Bellatrix attacked me, Mr. Nott came up with your mother one day. Apparently he's rather gifted at curse-breaking and she hoped he could help." she pursed her lips for a moment, thinking. "On the other hand, I believe Bellatrix is actually more frightening when you get to know her."

"Absolutely." Draco agreed.

"Can you ward the dungeon so that Greyback can't get down there, like you did to keep Bella out of here?" she asked.

He sighed. "It leaves a very obvious magical signature. I would have to have a really good reason, and just because Greyback is bothering one of the prisoners wouldn't get it." he looked over at her. "By the way, this whole wing is warded to keep Greyback out. He said some pretty disturbing things to me one night when he was drunk. I didn't want to leave to chance having to outrun him all the way to my room."

She nodded. "You should be able to feel safe in your rooms."

"I'll be back." he practically ran from the room and the feeling of the walls closing in on him.

* * *

><p>There were thirteen for dinner again that night. The Dark Lord told Narcissa that instead of Luna joining them, Bella would take her meal in her quarters.<p>

"And how are things with Miss Lovegood, Draco?" Voldemort asked. "Is she with child yet?"

Draco sucked a mouthful of wine into his lungs. His father clapped his back while he choked. "Forgive me, my lord. I'm not used to anyone speaking so forthrightly at the dinner table." He took a sip of water to clear his throat. "Not yet, my lord. We can't rush this situation."

"And why not?" Dolohov demanded.

Voldemort knocked him backwards with a non-verbal curse.

Draco ignored all of it and looked at Voldemort. "We want your next generation to be strong and healthy. We already had one child whose health was compromised due to his mother's lack of concern for his health prior to his birth. It would certainly defeat the purpose if Miss Lovegood was distraught at the idea of bearing a Death Eater's child and harmed herself or the child. Therefore, I have been taking the situation slowly, building her trust, and convincing her of the correctness of our beliefs. That way, when she is expecting, she will do whatever is necessary to ensure the health of the child." he took another sip of water and plunged on. "It's working. She told me this morning that she no longer fears our side, that she has realized the Death Eaters are people rather than monsters and has begun to see us as such."

Voldemort steepled his hands and looked at Draco over them. "Does this relate to what I have been told about your authorizing extra food to be given to the prisoners?"

"It does, my lord." Draco's voice was becoming stronger and more confident. "They were only given table scraps, which would have been thrown away otherwise, but I made a show of ordering the food taken to the dungeon, and it greatly increased her trust and confidence in me."

Voldemort laughed. "I knew I chose the right man to be my next general, Draco. Your mind is so much more devious than that of your father. You remind me very much of your godfather."

Draco dipped his head in reverence. "Thank you, my lord. I hold great admiration for my godfather."

* * *

><p>The raid on the small muggle town was well under way. Draco cast a few hexes in case anyone were watching, but he really just wanted to go home. He walked down the street of the main shopping district, blasting out windows, setting fire to the flowers in their boxes, shattering street lights, substituting minimal property damage for real destruction. He found himself in front of a boutique, which apparently in muggle terms meant a store that sold the most bizarre collection of one of a kind clothing. He amused himself with making the fashion atrocities commit suicide by leaping from the shelves, until he spotted the high tops. They were purple, with a double row of pink rhinestones across each toe, and a hand painted fairy on each ankle. They were absolutely the tackiest thing he had ever seen. Luna would love them.<p>

They were shrunk and in his pocket before he had time to think about what he was doing.


	22. Chapter 20

"Let's take Caelum outside." Luna suggested.

Draco looked up from the spell book he was studying. Luna was helping Caelum rock on his horse, both of them laughing. There was love in her eyes. She loved his son.

A part of him wished someone would look at him like that.

Draco didn't deserve it. He was a Death Eater. He was keeping her prisoner. He had tortured people and tried to kill a man whose only crime was to defy the monster Draco served. He was a deviant who had a child with his own aunt.

"Draco." he snapped back to attention, realizing Luna must have spoken to him several times.

"What? Oh, yeah, give me a minute." he got up and went to his room.

When he came back, Luna was dressing Caelum.

"Here." he handed her the Slytherin jumper he had bought for Caelum's birthday.

Luna rolled her eyes. "What if he's really a Ravenclaw?" she asked.

"As long as he's not a Gryffindor." Draco smirked.

She looked at him with mock anger. "Some of my dearest friends are Gryffindors."

"I'm sorry." Draco taunted.

"You should give them a chance, you know." She slid the jumper over Caelum's head, playing peekaboo wth him in the process. "They're people, just like the rest of us. You and Harry would have a lot in common."

His expression turned dark. "You should be having this conversation with your beloved Saint Potter!" he snapped.

"What do you mean, Draco?" she asked, genuinely puzzled.

"I tried to be his friend." he snorted. "First year. _He_ rejected _me_! He's the reason there's such animosity between us. You can call me a pureblooded snob all you want, but he's the one who refused to give me a chance."

She looked up at him, tilting her head. "I'm sorry he hurt your feelings, Draco. But instead of trying to hurt him because he hurt you, if you had forgiven him and allowed him to see the person you keep hidden, the two of you might have eventually become friends."

"So you're blaming me for the hostility with Potter?" he fumed.

"No." she shook her head. "I blame both of you. Because you each allowed your negative feelings to fester and build, and continuously widen the rift between you. Had you let it go, Harry probably would have let it go, and you wouldn't have battled your way through school. The demons in your heads are what brought you to hexing each other in the bathroom last year. If Harry hadn't been so mistrusting of you, he would have realized you were genuinely hurting. If you hadn't been so mistrustful of him, you might have let him help you."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not listening to any more of this cosmic karmic bullshit. I'm going to get a cloak so we can take Caelum outside."

He stomped off to his room.

* * *

><p>Draco spread a blanket on the grass near the fountain. Caelum pointed and chattered, seemingly asking about the fountain.<p>

"What is that?" Luna asked. "That is water. Like in your bath."

"Except colder and probably full of bird poo." Draco rolled his eyes.

The child babbled at Draco in response.

"Yes, sweetheart, tell Daddy he's being a grouch." Luna smiled sweetly.

She set Caelum down on the blanket and crawled over near him, having to move and arrange her skirt several times as she became entangled. She looked at Draco and shrugged. "This was much easier in my jeans."

"Jeans?" he asked.

"Those muggle pants I used to wear all the time at Hogwarts. These robes are nice, but they aren't designed for much beyond sitting around." She picked at her hem.

"Wizarding society ladies aren't meant to do much more than sit around." he shook his head.

"Well it's a good thing no one told me that, isn't it?" she asked Caelum, who giggled.

Caelum rolled over onto his tummy and reached out, trying to pick up an acorn near the edge of the blanket.

"That's not to eat." Draco flicked the acorn away, handing Caelum one of his toys instead.

He looked up toward the sky just as the breeze blew his hair away from his face. "Today would be a beautiful day to fly."

"You're very good on your broom." Luna informed him.

He shrugged. "I've done it ever since I can remember. I had a toy broom that barely got off the ground by the time I was two years old. I just love the wind around me, nothing holding me to the earth."

"I never learned to fly." she tilted her face skyward.

"Really?" he frowned. "Not even in class at Hogwarts."

"Well, I tend to be easily distracted, you see." she said. "After the third time I flew into something or someone and twice that I had fallen off my broom, Madame Hooch informed Headmaster Dumbledore that for my own safety and that of the rest of the class, she was removing me from lessons."

He snicked. "You distracted? Why I can't imagine such a thing."

She rolled her eyes at him.

"I'll take you up on my broom one day. I'll drive so that even if you get distracted we won't crash. But once you experience it, you'll love it." He promised.

"I'd love to, Draco." she smiled.

* * *

><p>They spent several hours outside, having Rinka bring their lunch outdoors, before bringing Caelum in for his nap. Luna carried Caelum while Draco brought the blanket and bag they had taken. She walked just ahead, singing a lullaby softly to the child whose eyes were already starting to droop.<p>

He watched the young woman with his son, and he knew two things.

First of all, he didn't want the Dark Lord to get anywhere near Caelum, or any other child he might ever have.

And secondly, if he did have any more children, he wanted Luna to be their mother.

Panic hit him so sharply he couldn't breathe for a moment.

He didn't know if it was because of the Dark Lord or because of Luna.

Part of him knew they couldn't take the chance, they couldn't have a baby that the Dark Lord would use as a weapon against them. That it would be wrong to bring a child into the world in the middle of this war, not knowing what tomorrow held.

But a deeper, more primal part of him wanted this woman to carry his child. To bind her life to his forever through the child they shared. To mark her as _his,_ for all other men to see.

When they reached the nursery, he flung his parcels onto the desk and stomped to his room, slamming the door without a word.

Maybe what he needed was a woman. Maybe he should help himself to one of the muggles during the next raid like most of the other Death Eaters did. Surely it was purely pent up sexual frustration. He was not falling for Luna Lovegood.

Because Draco Malfoy did not have a heart.

* * *

><p>There were thirteen for dinner again that night. This time the Dark Lord called for Luna to join them, rather than banishing Bellatrix.<p>

Luna donned the dress Narcissa had given her, taking Draco's arm and allowing him to escort her to the dining room. He didn't speak, and scowled at her as he had at Hogwarts.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. "You've been in a very foul mood all day."

"Leave me alone." he snarled.

He ignored her at the table, but fortunately she was seated with Mr. Nott on her other side, and they kept on a lively conversation through the meal. The main course was winding down when Voldemort turned to Draco.

"Draco, are you ready to assume your leadership responsibilities?" he asked with a sneering smile.

A puzzled look crossed the young man's face. "I thought that was what I was training for, my lord."

"Next weekend, we shall be initiating two new Death Eaters into our ranks. Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe will be receiving their marks. I believe you are well acquainted with both?" Voldemort tipped his head.

"Yes, we were at school together." Draco nodded.

"And from what I understand, you are being rather modest. I heard from Severus that the two of them practically followed you like puppies. Is that correct?"

Luna reached over to take Draco's hand under the table, sensing his nervousness. He didn't pull away.

"I had never thought of it that way, sir, but yes, I suppose they did." Draco shrugged. "They were a great help to me, standing lookout while I worked on the cabinet last year."

"I've heard that they have come into their own this year, rather than being Draco's shadows any longer." the Dark Lord reached over to absently stroke Nagini. "Both of them are quite talented when it comes to what the Ministry chooses to refer to as Unforgivable Curses."

There was snickering laughter from several at the table.

Rodolphus pointed his fork at Nott. "Your son not taking the Mark?"

Nott shook his head. "Not yet. He's not ready. I hope by this summer. He has some other things on his plate, so to speak, at this time."

"What could possibly be more important than joining the Dark Lord?" Bellatrix shrieked.

Nott waved his hand. "All in good time."

As the group moved from the table to the drawing room, Draco pulled Luna toward the stairs. "You're not staying tonight. I don't like the way Mulciber was looking at you."

She smiled at him as he herded her up the stairs. "Thank you Draco."

He snorted. "If he hurts you, then who's going to take care of Caelum?"

He practically shoved her into the nursery, locking the door behind her.

* * *

><p>"Stop it!" the shout came from the bedroom.<p>

Draco had stayed downstairs quite late. Luna had changed into her pajamas and laid on her bed, but didn't allow herself to go to sleep until she heard him come into the other room and get into bed.

Two hours later, he was obviously in the midst of nightmares.

"Bella, leave me the fuck alone! I don't want this!"

Luna made her way to his bedside, shaking him gently. "Draco, wake up."

He bolted up in bed and glared at her, yanking his arm away. "Don't fucking touch me!" he hissed.

She shook her head, getting off the bed slowly. "Maybe I need to find some wrackspurts for you. Because a fuzzy head would probably be better than whatever you have going on in there now."

* * *

><p>AN Yes, I feel like this is a fill-in chapter. Or maybe that's just because I know what's coming up next. The next several chapters are complete or nearly so, and things are about the get pretty out of hand, which means I feel like I'm dragging behind with this one.


	23. Chapter 21

The next morning, Draco's mood had not really improved. He dragged the armchair in front of the fire and scowled into a cup of tea while Luna did Caelum's leg exercises with him.

Rinka popped in. "Owl for Master Draco." she handed him a parchment.

"Me?" Caelum tilted his head. He pointed at Luna. "Me." He pointed at Draco. "Duh." He pointed at Rinka, and looked at Luna.

"You want to know what her name is?" Luna smiled. "Her name is Rinka." she frowned. "No, wait, that's too hard. She's an elf. Can you say elf?"

"Efff." Caelum managed. "Eff! Eff!" he began to bounce excitedly, pointing at Rinka.

Luna swooped him up, giving him a hug and a kiss. "You are so smart!"

Rinka actually cried. "The Baby Master has learned to call his Elf!"

"Draco?" Luna looked at him curiously, wondering why he had not reacted to his son's new word.

He was staring at the message he had received.

"Rinka, why don't you go tell Mrs. Malfoy?" she whispered. The elf popped out of the room, and Luna settled Caelum on the floor with his dragon.

Draco stood, frowning, throwing the parchment on his desk as he stalked over to the window, knuckles white where his hands gripped the ledge.

"Bad news?" Luna asked softly.

"No, actually it's good news." Draco sighed. "Pansy Parkinson and Theo Nott are engaged."

"You're not acting like it's good news." Luna came over to stand beside him, but careful not to touch him. "I guess that explains the comment his father made last night."

"I pushed the two of them toward each other." he shrugged. "I always thought they would make a good couple."

"Even though she was your girlfriend?" Luna asked.

"She wasn't really my girlfriend." he protested. "Well, I guess she was, actually, even if I didn't intend it. We had always been together, since we were small children. Our parents always expected us to make a match. She and I just ... were. We probably would have gotten married if it hadn't been for the thing with Caelum's mother. Just because we wouldn't have had a reason not to."

"The thought had crossed my mind that Pansy could have been his mother." Draco looked at her sharply. Luna shrugged. "The dark hair, you know. But I didn't remember ever seeing Pansy look like she could be pregnant."

Sadness crossed Draco's face for a moment, and then his features turned hard again. "No, she's not his mother. The ironic thing is, Pansy and I lost our virginity together. She's a few months older than I am, and she had this idea about how she couldn't turn seventeen and still be a virgin. She came up with the plan we should have sex, and I was, well, why not? So we did, and I was so paranoid that I was going to make her pregnant. I made her take the contraceptive potion and use the spell and even then I held my breath until she told me she had gotten her period." Draco wrapped his arms around himself, seeming to draw inward. "So then a few months later, what happens? I end up having a baby with another woman, who abandoned my child. Pansy wouldn't have done that." He leaned his head against the glass. "Things could have turned out a lot differently."

"Things turn out as they're meant to." she reassured him.

"I'm not so sure about that." he called over his shoulder as Luna walked away.

She reappeared by his side a moment later, holding Caelum, who grinned and reached for his father. "I am." she informed him.

* * *

><p>Narcissa pulled her son aside that night after dinner.<p>

"Tomorrow is Luna's birthday. I don't know what has gotten into you that you've been more short tempered than a Hungarian Horntail with a toothache. If you do not find a way to at least pretend you're in a better mood and act civilly as you were raised on her birthday, I will lock you in the dungeon. Do you understand me?"

He nodded, looking properly chastised.

She ruffled his hair. "I don't care how old you get, you are my baby. I want what's best for you, and having Luna around has helped you more than you realize."

He huffed and stomped away, but when he was around the corner, he smiled.

* * *

><p>On the way home from the raid that night, Draco made a slight detour.<p>

He apparated to just outside the funny looking house. He disillusioned himself and silenced his shoes. Sometimes the whole damn Death Eater training did come in handy. He cast a spell at the door, finding it unlocked and unwarded, as if the occupant of the house didn't care who might come in or what they might do to him. Draco wasn't sure if he found that very brave or very pitiful.

He found the room he looked for in the second one he looked into. Her school trunk stood in the middle of the floor, as if her father had waited for her to come home to unpack it. He quickly opened the trunk, which creaked, to his dismay. He held his breath and didn't hear any sound from anywhere else in the house, so he lit his wand and sorted through the contents.

He found several pairs of the pants she referred to, and counted out the proper number of shirts to go with them. He dug deeper, to the bottom of the trunk, and found blue, lace trimmed undergarments. He looked a little further, and there were more, in different colors. He started to gather those as well, thinking that it might be comforting for her to have her own underwear, but then he realized what a pervert he would look like showing up with it. As he put the underwear back, he saw two books at the bottom of the trunk. One was a study guide of magical creatures. He quickly put that one in the pile of things that were going with him. The other wasn't labeled. He opened it, and found a picture of the Weaselette, staring out into the distance, lost in thought. He flipped the page, and recognized Theo Nott holding out a shoe. One the page opposite was Cho Chang, with tremendous sadness in her eyes. He flipped through, seeing Hogwarts through Luna's eyes, the people, the scenery, all familiar. His breath hitched at a sketch of Dumbledore, eyes twinkling and arms outstretched.

Draco himself was in the book twice. Once in his school robes, prefect badge on his chest, arms folded, glaring at someone with open scorn. The other was him in his Quidditch uniform, on his broom, face a mask of concentration.

He stuffed Luna's clothes and both books into the pouch he had brought. Silencing it first, he closed the lid on the trunk, then looked around the room for the first time.

She had painted the Golden Trio and Neville Longbottom on the ceiling, linking their portraits with the word friends.

Of course Draco wasn't with her friends. He was only in the book of school scenery.

* * *

><p>He came home to find his mother waiting just inside the door.<p>

"I heard you weren't with the others." She held him at arm's length, looking him over for injury.

"I'm fine." he assured. "I just stopped to take care of something for tomorrow."

He climbed the stairs and entered the nursery to find Luna reading on her bed. She looked up and smiled when she saw him. "Hello Draco."

"You need to get some rest." he said softly. "You have a big day tomorow."

"What are we going to do?" she asked, eyes sparkling.

He shook his head. "It's a surprise. But tomorrow evening, you may want to wear something from this." He handed her the pouch.

She looked at him curiously, then reached her hand in. She pulled out a pair of pants.

"Jeans!" she exclaimed, and then her eyes widened. "_My_ jeans!" she looked up at him. "How?"

He smirked. "Some people are just remarkably resourceful."

She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. "Thank you, Draco."

* * *

><p>Draco sang Happy Birthday to Luna at breakfast. He was summoned to the Dark Lord for most of the morning, returning just in time for lunch, with Narcissa joining them. They had cake for dessert, and Narcissa presented Luna with a pair of aquamarine earrings.<p>

"Your birthstone, and they'll match your dress." Narcissa smiled.

"They're beautiful. Thank you." Luna smiled.

Next she opened a photo album. There were the pictures she was aware of, Caelum's birthday and such, but apparently Narcissa or someone had also taken several when Luna wasn't looking, mostly of her playing with Caelum, but also one of her and Draco in the drawng room after dinner, looking up at one another, the night he had kissed her in front of everyone.

She smiled at them again. "This is wonderful."

Draco saved his gift for last.

Luna's eyes widened.. "I love these!" She immediately threw off the ballet flats she was wearing and donned the high tops.

Draco grinned. "I knew you would."

She threw her arms around him and kissed his cheek. Caelum laughed and clapped his hands.

Dimpy popped in and said Draco was needed.

He looked at her before he left. "Six o'clock. Wear jeans. And those." he pointed to her feet.

She nodded, smiling, and turned toward Caelum.

Draco watched her for a moment, wondering if he had made a mistake fetching her jeans. Because when they were at Hogwarts, he never realized how they looked stretched across her backside and thighs.

At precisely six, Draco strode through the connecting door into the nursery, wearing casual pants, dragon hide boots, and a UK National Quidditch jersey.

Luna smiled. "That's the most casual I've ever seen you."

He rolled his eyes. "You've seen me in my pajamas."

"Duh! Me!" Caelum held out his arms.

"Nope." Draco picked up his son, giving him a hug and a kiss before handing him to Luna so she could do the same. "You're staying here with Rinka tonight. Mummy is all mine."

Draco led her down the stairs, stopping in the cloak room to pick up outerwear for both of them.

"You still haven't told me what we're doing." Luna pointed out as he led her out the side door.

"We're going out to the gazebo to have a picnic. And then I'm going to take you flying." he smiled.

She frowned. "We don't have very much time."

He winked at her. "I'm excused from the raid tonight."

"Really?" Her eyes widened. "How?"

"I told Voldemort I was speding a romantic evening with you for your birthday." he smirked. "He, of course, is hoping our romantic evening leads to another junior Death Eater."

"You're devious." she shook her head.

"Yeah, but that's what you love about me." he joked.

He took her hand and led her out to the gazebo. "This is what I was needed for this afternoon."

The decorative railing just below the roof had been wrapped with twinkling lights, and a thick blanket was spread on the floor, with a picnic basket and a bottle of champagne in a bucket of ice sitting to the side.

"Draco, it's beautiful." she breathed.

He smiled at her, suddenly shy. "I promised you something special for your birthday."

He poured them each a glass of champagne and began setting out the food. There were all of Luna's favorites: roast pork, jacket potatoes, asparagus, and two individual dessert dishes containing something Luna had never seen before.

"This," Draco waved one of the dishes under her nose. "is the most fabulous pudding in the world. It's called creme brulee."

Luna's eyes lit up. "I love pudding."

"I know." he smirked.

"We need a candle." she smiled mischievously.

"For what?" he asked. "We've got plenty of light..."

"So I can make a wish." she interrupted.

Looking slightly embarrassed, he picked up a twig and transfigured it into a lit candle, holding it over her creme brulee. She closed her eyes and blew out the candle.

When she opened them, Draco was looking at her in rather an odd way. He licked his lips nervously, never taking his eyes off her as he moved the dish from between them to one side. He continued to lean closer, until his face was right above hers. She closed her eyes, and a heartbeat later, his lips brushed hers.

He kissed her softly, slowly. His tongue brushed over the outside of her lips, and then retreated into his mouth and he kissed her again. He finally drew back, looking at her uncertainly.

Her face blossomed into a huge smile that took Draco's breath. "That was exactly what I wished for."

He smiled back, scooting in closer and kissing her again. This time, not so gently, but with a hunger. His mouth coaxed hers to open, and his tongue slipped inside. His hand came up to cup the back of her neck, and hers slid around his shoulders. They kissed on, until Luna found herself on her back on the blanket, with Draco on top. His left arm behind her neck braced his weight, while his right hand lifted her leg and draped it over his hip, allowing him to press against her intimately. Her hand tangled in his hair. He broke their kiss, and Luna was about to protest until she felt his mouth on her neck. Her body bucked against his and her breath came out in a shuddering, gasping moan.

Draco pushed away and sat up abruptly, turning his back to her. She sat up, a little more slowly and somewhat dazed, and put her hand on his shoulder. He shrugged it off.

"Why did you stop?" she asked.

"Luna." he groaned, shoving his hand through his hair. "It's been over a year and a half since I've been with a woman. Unless you fancy being shagged right here, right now, give me a minute to get myself together."

"What if I do want you to shag me, right here, right now?" she whispered, trying to slide her arms around him.

He surged to his feet and moved about six feet away before turning to face her, chest heaving.

"Luna." his face was contorted with emotion. "I destroy everything I touch. You are too beautiful and pure for me to destroy."

She smiled at him sadly. "Thank you Draco. I think that's the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me."

He took another step backward and bumped up against one of the posts of the gazebo. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. When he opened them again, she was still sitting on the blanket on the floor, staring up at him.

"I'm sorry." he said softly.

"You don't have to be. You didn't do anything I didn't want you to." Her expression turned wicked. "Except stop."

He sighed. "I don't know what I want."

She held her hand out to him, and he sat back down beside her. "I know." she whispered, wrapping her arms around his middle and putting her head on his shoulder. "I'll wait for you figure it out."

He leaned his head against hers. "We still have to eat your birthday pudding."

She laughed and squeezed him. "Yes, we do Draco."

He handed her a bowl of creme brulee and a spoon. He picked up his own, but watched Luna taste hers before digging in to his own.

She smiled. "This _is_ the best pudding I've ever had." she frowned. "Aren't you going to eat yours?"

He scooped up a spoonful, holding it out to her before snatching it back and putting it in his own mouth. "You think I would waste something this good?"

They finished their dessert.

"Are we still going flying, Draco?" she asked softly.

He sighed, looking down at his knees. "I don't think being pressed up against each other on a broom is the best idea right now." he glanced up at her. "Would you be too upset with me?"

She reached over and squeezed his hand. "Another time, then." she smiled and walked to the railing. She pointed up at the stars. "Where is Draco?"

He came up beside her and pointed out the various stars and constellations his relatives were named after.

They stayed out for another hour or so before heading back into the house. Caelum was already asleep. They dismissed Rinka, and Draco turned to go to his room.

"Thank you." she said softly.

He turned back around, and took two steps to stand in front of Luna. "I'm sorry I ruined your birthday." he whispered.

"It was the best birthday I've had in years." she told him honestly. "There's only one other thing I could ask for."

"What's that?" he asked.

"Kiss me goodnight." she reached out and took both of his hands in hers.

He leaned down and gently placed his lips over hers, their bodies not touching except at their mouths and hands.

As he drew back, she looked up at him, at his pale hair shining in the dim candlelight and his silver eyes darkened to stormy gray.

"I love you Draco." she said simply.

His jaw tightened, and he shook his head sadly. "Don't, Luna. Please don't."

He turned away, walking to his room and closing the door.

* * *

><p>AN - Parts of the last two chapters have left me feeling like that kid from Despicable Me. "It's so fluffy I could die!"

Opaque - I hope this answered your question. No, he hasn't actually *told* her.

And Bitchpudding, all the you know what that's about the break loose is mostly between Draco and Bellatrix.


	24. Chapter 22

He had them cornered. They were in a dead end alley with no way out. This was what he wanted, wasn't it? To use one of the muggles. This was his chance.

"What are you going to do, Draco?" came a high pitched voice from behind him.

He tried to avoid others as much as possible during the raids. So they couldn't see how weak his crucio was and how he didn't have the hate in him to avada anyone.

But here he was, alone with two muggle women and two Death Eaters. Not just any two Death Eaters. Antonin Dolohov and Bellatrix Lestrange.

"You know what to do," she placed her hand on his shoulder and trailed it down his arm. "Make them fear the dark." She leaned into him, whispering the last word.

Dolohov laughed, appearing to need no encouragement. He grabbed one of the muggle women, shoving her roughly to the ground. Draco didn't look, but he didn't have to, to know what Dolohov was doing to the woman.

The other one, her daughter, perhaps, backed against the wall, whimpering and begging. The way Draco had whimpered and begged when his Aunt Bella had come to his room.

"Go on, Draco," the evil woman purred into his ear. "Hurt her like you wanted to hurt me. Make her scream in pain. Make her bleed. I want to watch."

He stepped back, shaking his head.

"What?" Auntie Bella taunted him. "Did little Drakey turn out to be a queer? That would be a shame, wasting talent like yours. Maybe I should send Greyback to your room to find out. He likes little boys." She shoved her hand down the front of his pants, and his body instantly hardened. "Well, well, well. Apparently you do still like girls. Maybe it's just that redheads aren't your thing."

She turned and flicked her wand at the muggle, silently transfiguring her into a copy of Bellatrix, while her other hand continued to stroke his erection. "We could have a threesome, you, me, and her." Bellatrix stood on her tiptoes and bit his neck, just below his ear.

He raised his wand and cast an incarcerous at the muggle. Bella practically crowed her laughter and began to unfasten his trousers.

"Make me proud, Draco." she whispered.

He looked at her and spoke one word. "Crucio!"

As Bellatrix writhed on the ground, he flicked a stunning spell at Dolohov, who was still raping the older woman. The crucio never broke, and continued to hold as he refastened his pants.

He finally released the torture spell on his aunt when he was dizzy from the effort of maintaining it. He managed to toss an obliviate at the group in general as the edges of his vision started to fade. His last thought was that maybe he did have enough hate, and could cast a killing curse now.

* * *

><p>Luna checked the time again. 4:47. At 5am, she would give up and go to bed. It had become her habit to wait up for Draco, as it had become his to stop in the nursery as soon as he was back, to check on her and Caelum.<p>

There was a knock at the hall door. Luna slid off the bed silently, headed for the desk drawer to get the knife Draco had given her. Whomever it was knocked a little louder, and then opened the door.

"Luna?" Mrs. Malfoy stage whispered.

Luna wasn't sure if she was relieved or more frightened. "I'm here. What is it?"

Narcissa's eyes were wide and worried. "Severus Snape sent a patronus. He said that he was taking Draco home with him. He said Draco is all right, and he will bring him home tomorrow."

"Draco is not all right." Luna said with certainty.

"No, he's not." Narcissa fretted. "Not if Severus wouldn't bring him back here."

"What do we do?" Luna asked.

Narcissa sat down in the armchair. "There's not much we can do. I guess we just have ..."

Whatever she was going to say was cut off by the hall door being kicked open.

Dolohov and Rowle practically fell into the room, both reeking of firewhiskey and the smell Luna was beginning to associate with raids.

"Oh ho!" Dolohov shouted. "We came to take turns with the prisoner, but it looks like there's one here for each of us!" he laughed and took one step into the room.

Narcissa dropped him in a heartbeat, her murmured curse so fast Luna didn't catch it. She then stunned Rowle before he could react. With both of their would-be assailants subdued, Mrs. Malfoy then screamed. Commotion immediately started all over the house, with several elves popping into the room, shouts and slamming doors heard in other rooms.

"Cissy!" Mr. Malfoy's voice barked.

"Nursery!" she called back.

By the time her husband and brothers in law had reached the nursery, Mrs. Malfoy was delicately wiping tears and shuddering in horror. "Oh Lucius, it was horrible!" she held her arms out to her husband.

He gathered her into his arms. "You're safe now, sweetheart. I'm glad the elves were able to get to you before they were." He nudged Dolohov's form with the toe of his shoe and ordered the Lestrange brothers to remove the fallen Death Eaters. "Rinka, something for the ladies' nerves, please." The elf nodded and popped out of the room. "By the time we're done with those two, they will never come near you or Miss Lovegood again." He looked over at Luna, who watched everything with wide eyes.

"Poor dear, she's in shock." Narcissa peeked around her husband at the younger woman and winked. "She will be so relieved when Draco is back here to protect her."

Rabastan returned a few minutes later to inform Mr. Malfoy that they had placed the two men in the cloakroom off the foyer and that Rodolphus had gone back to Bellatrix.

"Thanks, Rab. I'll see to Dolohov and Rowle. Let me know if there's any change with Bellatrix." Mr. Malfoy dismissed him.

Rab nodded and left.

"What's going on with Bella?" Mrs. Malfoy asked.

"She was injured during the raid tonight." He looked at Luna a moment before continuing. "She will all right, just took a monster of a cruciatus. Severus found Draco and Bellatrix unconscious and Dolohov stunned. He took Draco home with him, and called for Rod and Rab to retrieve the other two. Unfortunately, Dolohov wasn't any worse for wear." He kissed his wife's cheek. "I'm going to wash up. You'll be in our room when I'm done?"

"Yes, just let me get Luna and Caelum settled and I'll be right there." she smiled at him.

He left and closed the door. Narcissa turned to Luna.

"Do you think..." Luna began.

"That Draco and Bella fought and Dolohov was caught in the crossfire? Absolutely." Mrs. Malfoy sighed and shook her head. "Knowing that, I'm hoping that Severus just took him home to load him up on replenishing potions."

Luna frowned. "Do you think maybe he had one of his ... episodes?"

His mother looked thoughtful. "For his sake, I hope not. But if he did, I hope she got the full brunt of it."

* * *

><p>"Hey." he leaned against the doorway.<p>

"Draco!" she gasped.

"Duh!" Caelum reached his arms out.

He walked toward them, and Luna rose, bringing Caelum to meet him. He wrapped his arms around both of them. He kissed Caelum's cheek, and then Luna's.

"I'm fine." he reassured.

She looked into his eyes. "We'll talk about later."

He nodded. "I've got to go let my parents know I'm back."

"Come back." she whispered.

* * *

><p>Less than two minutes later, there was a knock on the nursery door. Luna approached cautiously, asking "Who is there, please?"<p>

"It is Severus Snape." the muffled voice replied. "May I speak with you a moment?"

Luna opened the door and invited her former teacher in.

"What happened with Draco last night?" she asked.

"Miss Lovegood." he drawled."I believe that is a subject you should discuss with Draco, _if_ he wishes to speak of it."

"He had one of his episodes, didn't he?" she pressed on. "Where it's like he's trapped in a nightmare but he's actually awake."

He didn't answer, but the way the man's eyes darkened and his lips thinned into almost disappearing told her she was correct.

"As to the purpose of my appearance here." he held out a small glass vial attached to a long leather cord. "Draco is concerned about your and Caelum's safety while he is not nearby. This is a concentrated version of what muggles call tear gas. If you are in danger, you need only smash the glass and release the potion. I would suggest you try to throw it as close to your assailant's feet as possible and avert your face immediately." he looked at her for a long moment, and then added, almost as an afterthought. "The liquid causes the victim's eyes to water and for them to cough violently, distracting them long enough for you to make an escape. There are no long lasting effects from the potion. You may use it on anyone who you feel poses a threat. Even Draco, should the need arise."

Luna took the necklace from his hand. "Thank you, Professor. And thank you for everything you've done for Draco."

He turned and left without another word.

* * *

><p>"I can't believe <em>my<em> son is so pathetic that his godfather had to take him home and _coddle_ him all night because a woman stuck her hand down his pants!" Lucius' face was almost purple with rage. "Half the boys in Slytherin house would have traded their left bollock to have been in your position last night!"

"Maybe if you'd been here!" Draco shouted at his father. "Maybe if you had protected your family like a _father_ should instead of stupidly getting caught! You think I wanted to be bound and tortured by a woman older than my _mother_?"

"Whatever." Lucius snapped. "One day you'll just have to get your head around the fact that you committed incest and adultery and you enjoyed it. Stop playing the big bad Bellatrix took advantage of poor little Draco card. The fact of the matter is, she couldn't have fucked you if you didn't get it up for her. And she didn't have to come for her to get knocked up, but _you_ did. I'm sure my father is turning over in his grave at the way you've distorted the blood line, by producing a sickly bastard child through incest for your firstborn."

It was a low blow, and they both knew it. Draco had idolized his grandfather, and Caelum carried the man's name as his middle name. Narcissa subtly stepped between the two of them.

Lucius continued. "You've got an acceptable, pureblooded daughter of a Slytherin up there in your room. I suggest you go fuck her until she can't walk and get this thing with Bellatrix behind you once and for all."

"You don't have a fucking clue, do you?" Draco snapped. "But then again, why should that change?"

He turned with the intention of storming from the room and slamming the door. The door opened just before he reached it.

Bella stepped in.

Draco threw up his hands and stomped back to his parents.

"Your timing is unbelievable, as always." he snapped.

She sauntered to the group. She was pale, with dark circles under her eyes, looking as weak and debilitated as she did when she had first come from Azkaban.

"The Dark Lord wants to speak to the two of us, Draco." she stood beside him and looked up at him through her lashes. He nodded.

She reached up and placed her hand in the middle of his back. "He meant now."

"I'll be there in a minute." Draco glared at her.

She leaned in to brush her breast against his arm. "I'll wait for you outside." she whispered, trailing the hand on his back downward until her fingertips brushed over the curve of his hip before she winked at him and left the room.

The look that crossed his father's face was gone in an instant, but Draco had seen and recognized it. In one moment, everything clicked into place.

"You're fucking jealous!" he accused. "You wanted Bella and couldn't have her, and you're jealous because I did!"

Lucius' face tightened. "Don't be ridiculous."

"She's a screamer." Draco smirked with a wicked glint in his eyes.

Lucius threw his shoulders back and glowered at his son.

"She can do absolutely incredible things with her tongue." Draco taunted, as Lucius' nostrils flared and his jaw clenched. "She likes it d..."

"DRACO!"

He jumped, startled by the undignified screech from his mother.

"I'd better go." he couldn't resist another jab at his father. "The Dark Lord and Bella are waiting for _me."_

He sauntered out into the hallway, ignoring Bella and heading toward the drawing room on his own.

* * *

><p>AN - I posted a chapter late last night and one early this morning, so make sure you read both. Because there was something a teensy bit important in the last one.

You're going to hate me for the next chapter. And the one after that.


	25. Chapter 23

Draco stomped out of the drawing room.

The Dark Lord hadn't been thrilled that his followers were taking down each other during raids, but was overjoyed when he heard how powerful Draco's curse against Bella had been. How Draco had singlehandedly overpowered two of the most powerful Death Eaters. He spouted on about fabulous plans and allowing Draco to be in charge of torture and some other garbage that Draco's mind hadn't even processed.

He ended up in the solarium, looking out over the gardens at the fading afternoon light. He threw himself into the chaise as horrible unwanted images played through his mind.

A bolt of green light hitting Dumbledore in the chest. Watching the man's body fall backwards from the tower for what seemed like days.

Uncle Sev shoving him out of Hogwarts with Potter chasing them, knowing in his heart he would never return, that his childhood was indeed over.

Professor Burbage tortured, killed, and fed to a fucking snake.

Katie Bell lying so pale and still against the white sheets when he sneaked into the hospital wing.

The muggle man pointing the weapon that was almost shaped like a broom at Maypenny, and the loud noise and the gaping wound spraying blood from Maypenny's chest.

Stumbling across Greyback with a muggle child no older than six, both covered in blood, realizing that not only had the monster bitten the child, but had raped him too.

Himself, being tortured by the Dark Lord for his failures.

His mother, weeping, telling him how sorry she was and how if there was any other way, she would do anything to keep him from having to take the Mark.

Faces of nameless muggles, tortured and killed in the raids.

The not so nameless faces, printed in the Daily Prophet that very morning, of Dirk Cresswell, who had been to dinner at their house before, and Ted Tonks, the uncle he had never met, killed by snatchers.

The fact that there was an old man and a boy who should be in school imprisoned in one room under his house, and a goblin locked up somewhere else.

Luna and Caelum, in the nursery upstairs, one whim of the Dark Lord from being tortured or killed at any given moment.

He wanted nothing more than to make it all go away.

"Mimsy!"

The fat elf appeared. "Yes Master Draco?"

"Bring me a bottle of firewhiskey."

She popped away and then back again, bringing him the bottle and a crystal tumbler.

He took the bottle but shoved the glass back at her. "I didn't ask for that. Go away."

She shrank away as if in fear of being struck before disapparating.

He uncorked the bottle and took three long draughts. His traitorous mind continued to play scenes from various raids. He drank another shot, and his mind hit on something useful.

One night, returning from a raid, Rowle had a muggle container filled with what looked like tiny peach colored pebbles, except they were all perfectly round, and stamped with the letters OC on one side.

"What are they?" Draco asked.

"Muggle pain pills." Rowle smirked. "Like pain potion in a solid form that you can carry easily. Rather ingenious, actually. But these have a nice little bonus. They're derived from opium. It's like eating opium, but fast, easy to carry, and less messy."

Rowle had given a handful to each of them, and several people had sampled theirs right away. Draco's share was still in a velvet pouch in his sock drawer.

He had never tried opium. He knew several of the Death Eaters had. They said it helped them forget.

He disillusioned himself and silenced his shoes, not wanting to deal with anyone in the house. He crept up the back stairs to his rooms. He peeked into the nursery to check on Luna and Caelum. Caelum was sound asleep, his little bum in the air and his dragon's head tucked under his chin. Luna was not in sight, but he could hear the water running in the bathroom.

He slipped through the open door into his bedroom. His hand was on the drawer pull when the bathroom door opened and Luna stepped out. He quickly dodged out of her path, holding his breath as she looked his direction when she passed. She continued on into the nursery, closing the connecting door behind her.

Draco retrieved the pouch, slipping it into his pocket. On second thought, he fished one pill out of the pouch, before realizing he had left the bottle of firewhiskey downstairs. He walked into the bathroom, filled a cup with a quick aquamenti so Luna wouldn't hear the water, and took the pill.

He returned to the solarium, and didn't notice anything different for several minutes. Gradually, he began to feel the weight of all the pressure, all the horrors, lifting off of him. Fuck Voldemort. Actually, they probably couldn't. Draco snickered at the thought, wondering what else the Dark Lord was missing besides his nose.

The feeling of well-being continued to grow and swell through him. It was freeing, as nothing else had freed him before, short of the feeling of being airborne on his broom, the wind in his face. He suddenly realized he couldn't remember the last time he had taken his broom out. He dashed down to the broomshed and was in the air in minutes. He flew for what seemed like hours and seconds all at the same time, as time held no meaning at the moment. He completed acrobatic maneuvers on his broom that he had been afraid to attempt before. Nothing could stop him.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, his euphoria began to melt into a peaceful warmth. He landed the broom, stowing it back in the shed, and returned to the solarium. He would just stretch out on the chaise and take a little nap before dinner. He watched the sky darken and the stars appear, one by one. Several times he opened his eyes to realize that he had been asleep, but not for long, as the night hadn't crept much further than he remembered. Nightmares didn't come, and some part of his mind knew they wouldn't. They couldn't get past the serenity this pill had given him.

The door to the solarium opened, and Bella stood there. Not even she could ruin the languid feeling he had at this moment. She smirked at him wickedly, coming to sit on the edge of the chaise. Her lips were moving, he could hear the sound of her voice, but he couldn't understand her words. He was busy staring at her lips. Then the lips moved toward him, and closed over his. His eyes drifted shut as her tongue slipped into his mouth and her hand landed on his chest and moved south.

Somewhere in the back of his mind flashed the thought that he should push her away, that he should get away from her, that he didn't want to do this with her any more, but his arms felt so heavy. His legs just wouldn't move and his eyes wanted to stay shut. He forced his eyes open as her mouth left his, but she was swimming in and out of focus.

"Bella, don't." his voice sounded strange to him, as if it came from far away.

She laughed. By that time, she was straddling him and his shirt was open and her mouth was on his chest and she was grinding her hips against his.

"But you really want me to, Draco. You like this." she taunted.

"Stop, Bella." he moaned as her lips found his collarbone, and then bit him, her tongue soothing the spot seconds later. He wasn't sure if he blacked out momentarily or she had used magic, because the thought that his toes were cold skittered across his mind a fraction of a second before he realized they were both naked.

Then she had sheathed him and she was hot and wet and nothing had ever felt this way. It had to be the muggle drug. He was floating but grounded all at once. She was riding him and his hands were grasping her hips so tightly to help that he would probably leave bruises but at the moment neither of them cared. He didn't even know how his hands got there. She bucked out of rhythm and tightened and convulsed around him. His own release hit, feeling as if it began in his fingers and toes and scalp and surged through his veins until bursting though his groin and he was panting and moaning and felt as if he had been turned inside out.

Both of his arms were wrapped around her, crushing her to his chest, silently begging her to stay, just for a while, just this once. As always, however, as soon as her breathing returned to normal, he felt her warmth leave as she got up. A flick of her wand, and they were both cleaned up and dressed.

She leaned over as he turned his head, the shame of what they had done suddenly filling him, as the effects of the drug faded away.

She kissed his cheek. "I knew you were still Auntie Bella's boy." she crowed with a laugh. He stared at the chair beside him as her heels clicked across the stone floor and the door slammed behind her.

Oh Merlin.

He was going to have to find her, to make sure she took a morning after potion so they didn't have any more Caelums. Right this second, however, he couldn't face her. He couldn't face anyone. He definitely wasn't going to the nursery any time soon. Caelum and Luna were the only good and pure things in his life and he felt so dirty even thinking of them at this moment.

He reached into the bag for another of the muggle pills, wanting nothing more than to forget the past half hour ever happened. He washed it down with a large portion of the firewhiskey. The thought that he would never be Luna's knight in shining armor, that he was just the sick Death Eater bastard who fucks his aunt, repeated in his head as the darkness pulled him under.

* * *

><p>AN - Just to clear up something from the last chapter, Lucius hurt Draco very deeply, and Draco was lashing out, pushing his father's buttons in return. I see the Lucius in this story as more of a canon Lucius rather than the closet family man in Going Back. Canon Lucius loves his son, but doesn't usually seem to know what to do with him, and there is a definite undercurrent of jealousy there.


	26. Chapter 24

Luna rocked Caelum to sleep and put him in his crib.

"Rinka." she whispered loudly.

The tiny elf popped into the room.

"Have you seen Draco?" she asked.

The little elf frowned. "No Missy Luna. Rinka not see him since just after lunch."

"Will you ask Mrs. Malfoy if she has seen him?" Luna knew something wasn't right.

Narcissa swept into the nursery a few minutes later.

"Draco is not here?" she looked around the room. "I thought when he didn't come to dinner that he was eating here with you and Caelum."

"No." Luna shook her head. "He came in as soon as he got back to let me know he was here and all right, and I haven't seen him since. I thought he was here at one point during the afternoon. I smelled his cologne but I didn't see him. He always comes and tells me if the Dark Lord is sending him out."

Worry began to creep across Narcissa's face. "Yes, he does. And there's not a raid tonight."

The older woman pulled out her wand, murmuring something and casting a picture on the wall. "He's in the solar ... No!" she shouted, disapparating on the spot.

A moment later, Narcissa's terrified scream rang through the house for the second time that day.

"Rinka, get Severus! Hurry!" Narcissa shouted.

Lucius and Rabastan burst through the solarium door, then froze at the sight of Narcissa bent over her son.

"Oh, Merlin! Is he dead?" Rab shouted.

"Nearly." she managed to say. "He's barely breathing and his heartbeat is so slow I couldn't find it at first."

"What happened to him?" Lucius cried.

"I don't know. I just found him. Rinka is gone for Severus. Lucius, get him up to his room." Narcissa directed.

"He's covered in vomit!" Lucius protested.

"Are you a wizard or not?" his wife glared.

Lucius quickly scourgified his son and lifted the limp form into his arms. Rab picked up the nearly empty firewhiskey bottle.

"The little dragon can't hold his liquor." he cackled.

Narcissa shook her head, following her husband toward the stairs. "There's something besides that. I don't know what."

They burst through the door of Draco's bedroom, Narcissa flicking her wand to pull the covers back so Lucius could settle their son on the bed. Another flick and his shoes were on the floor and cloak slung over a chair.

Narcissa leaned over him, casting a few quick diagnostic spells. Rinka popped into the room with Severus Snape.

"I don't know what it is." she called over her shoulder. "I just found him, he had vomited, his heart rate and breathing are so slow they're almost non-existent. There was a partial bottle of firewhiskey next to him, but something tells me that he's more than drunk."

"What's that?" Rab asked, pointing to something on the bed that had fallen out of Draco's pants pocket.

Severus levitated the pouch in the air, floating the contents out with a flick of his wand.

"Muggle drugs." he pronounced. "An opiate based narcotic called Oxycontin. Apparently he's mixed them with firewhiskey."

"That's not good." Luna spoke up, as the others turned to her sharply, realizing for the first time she was in the room.

"It's often fatal." Snape frowned.

Narcissa cried out, her hand coming up to cover her mouth.

"You found him still breathing. We will keep him that way." Snape informed her. "The fact that he vomited probably saved his life. It got at least some of the concoction out of his system."

Someone was banging on the door, asking what was going on. Lucius went to get rid of them.

"Does anyone have any idea how many he may have taken?" Snape asked the room in general.

Luna shook her head. "I had no idea he even had them."

Narcissa was trying to breath deeply and evenly to calm herself. "I didn't either." she bit her lip.

"This is probably the first time he's used them and didn't know what he was getting himself into." Snape muttered, casting a few charms at Draco's still unconscious form and pulling the young man's shirt open.

"He smells like Bellatrix." Luna wrinkled her nose.

Severus and Narcissa looked at one another.

"Fuck." his mother hissed.

Snape's eyes momentarily widened in shock before he returned to his normal impassive expression. "I think you may be right." He drawled, catching Narcissa's eye and directing her attention to the mark on Draco's shoulder.

Snape drew a vial from his cloak pocket and poured a foul smelling yellow-green liquid into Draco's mouth. He stood, turning to address Narcissa and Luna.

"This is going to make him vomit any of the pills and whiskey that are left in his stomach. Make sure he is on his side, if possible hang his head over the side of the bed so that it's lower than his chest, so that the fluid doesn't go into his lungs." Retching sounds were already starting to come from the figure on the bed. "I must get a few things from my personal stores at Hogwarts. I shall return as quickly as possible. If he starts to have a seizure, put his wand or a towel in his mouth so he doesn't bite or swallow his tongue. Like this." he demonstrated by placing his hand in his own mouth. "Rinka, come with me." The elf grabbed his hand and they spun out of the room.

By that time, Luna had moved to the edge of the bed, holding Draco's torso across her lap, while Narcissa conjured a basin for him to vomit into. Lucius stayed over by the door, looking as if he may throw up as well.

The door sprang open again, and Bellatrix stood framed in the doorway. Narcissa whirled toward the doorway, her face dark with fury. Bellatrix tried to enter the room and was flung backwards against the opposite wall.

"Draco warded the room to not allow you in." Luna called from the bed.

Bella laughed. "I don't think he will have a problem letting me in. Do you know what he was doing two hours ago?"

Lucius silenced her and slammed the door in her face.

By the time Severus returned, Draco had emptied the contents of his stomach and moved on to throwing up bile. He was still unconscious, but every few minutes, Luna whispered to him, telling him who was there, that they would take care of him, and everything would be fine. Snape cast a spell and the retching stopped. He helped Luna to roll Draco back onto the bed on his back. He poured a pale blue potion into his mouth.

"This will neutralize the drug that is still in his bloodstream." he then poured in a second potion. "And this is Sober Up, to counteract the firewhiskey. His pulse and respirations should begin to normalize within the hour. He'll probably sleep all night and awake with a tremendous hangover as well as a sore throat from the vomiting." He stood and addressed Draco's family. "See that he is watched through the night. If his condition declines at all, notify mimmediately. I'll be back in the morning to check his lungs, in case he aspirated anything earlier." He handed a flask to Lucius with a slight but significant nod. "See that Bellatrix takes this."

* * *

><p>"Draco?" a voice asked.<p>

He turned his head, blinking, and started to shake his head. That apparently wasn't a good idea, he realized as the room swirled before him.

"How do you feel?" Luna continued softly.

"I think I would have to get better to die." He rasped, surprised at how hoarse his voice sounded.

She had the nerve to giggle. He frowned. He closed his eyes again, and when he opened them, a potion vial hovered in front of his face.

"Here, this will help." She slipped a hand behind his head, helping him to sit up just enough that he could drink the potion without choking. She eased him back onto the bed.

In a few minutes, the pounding in his head, the dizziness, and the nausea began to ease. He didn't feel cured at all, just enough better that he didn't think he would fall out of bed while throwing up right before his head exploded.

"What happened?" he tried his voice again, not sounding any better to his own ears.

"You took some muggle drugs and washed them down with alcohol." Her voice sounded odd, and he squinted, trying to see her better. "It almost killed you."

"Really?" he asked.

"I don't think you meant to harm yourself. You just didn't know what they would do." She continued on.

"I wanted to forget." He murmured.

Suddenly the events of the previous night flooded back. All of them.

"Oh, Merlin." He groaned.

He looked at her. She looked concerned, but not repulsed or furious as he expected.

"Where is my mother?" he asked.

"She left to get some rest. She was here most of the night." Luna turned away. "Mimsy."

The elf popped in.

"Please let Mrs. Malfoy know Draco is awake. And I believe Professor Snape wanted to know as well." She turned back to Draco as the elf disapparated. "Your parents were terribly worried. It was quite the wonder last night, with most all of the Death Eaters stopping by to see what was going on with you. Even Bellatrix tried to come in. I told her the rooms were warded to keep her out, but she seemed to think after something that happened yesterday you would remove the wards and want her here."

"Where is Caelum?" he asked.

"He's in the nursery with Rinka." She chattered on. "I brought him over once to show him you were here, but I told him you were sick and sleeping so not to wake you."

"Go take care of him." Draco ordered.

"You don't need to be alone, and he's fine with Rinka." She tilted her head at him.

"You heard me. " He glared. "My mother will be here in a moment to watch over me. You need to look after Caelum. It's fine for an elf to watch him once in a while, but he needs to get attached to humans, not elves!" his voice got louder and stronger as he continued, until the last word was almost a shout.

"You got attached to an elf." She reached over and squeezed his hand. He snatched it away.

"You were attached to Dobby and he left you." She didn't ask it as a question, but stated it as a fact.

"Get out of my room!" he pointed. "Go take care of my son, which is what you were brought here to do, or go back to the dungeon! I don't fucking care which!"

Narcissa walked in just at the end of the outburst.

"I'll go to see to Caelum now." Luna spoke as if they had just been discussing the weather. "I'll see you in a little while, Draco."

"If it weren't for the fact you almost died last night, I would not put up with you speaking to anyone this way." His mother folded her arms at him.

"I don't want to hear it." He snarled. "Does everyone know?" He studied his hands as he waited for her answer.

"Know what? That you washed down muggle drugs with alcohol and almost killed yourself? That you vomited all over my solarium? That Severus Snape had to come here and revive you because your lips and fingers had turned blue already?" She glared back at him.

"I'm sorry." He said softly. "About all of that. But does everyone know what else happened in the solarium?"

"I suppose you're referring to the fact you smelled like Bellatrix and sex and had a love bite on your shoulder?" She pursed her lips. "No, only Severus, your father and I know that part. And Bella, of course."

He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw.

"Why muggle drugs, Draco?" she asked softly, and he looked over at her. There were tears in her eyes.

"Because they said those pills would make you forget. I just wanted to forget everything I've seen and done. Then while I was under the effects of the drug, Bella found me. Then I had even more to forget so I took another one." he reached over and brushed away a tear that was trailing down her cheek. "I'm sorry, Mother. Please don't cry."

"I'm sorry, too, sweetheart." she answered as another tear rolled down her face.


	27. Chapter 25

"Draco." He was gently shaken awake at some later point in time.

"Don't do that!" he growled, clutching his head as the motion restarted the pounding in his head and the rolling in his stomach.

"His attitude has returned to normal." A deep voice drawled.

He opened his eyes just a fraction to see his mother and Uncle Sev hovering over him. Uncle Sev pointed his wand at Draco's chest and softly murmured some enchantment. The sound of Draco's breathing was magnified in the room. There was a distinct rattle.

"It is as I feared. You aspirated fluid last night." Snape ended the sound and produced a potion vial from an inner pocket. Take 2 ounces every four hours today for four doses. You will cough up some particularly foul liquid until you get it all out of your lungs."

Draco glared at him. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

"No." Snape's lips tightened. "I do not enjoy seeing a young man with great potential self-destruct." He turned to Narcissa. "He should stay in bed the rest of the day, not that he will feel like doing elsewise. Hangover potion as needed, and make sure he drinks plenty of fluids. Non-alcoholic." He added with a glance over his shoulder. "The drug has been extremely diluted, but may remain in his system for another day or two. You should watch him for any abnormal symptoms."

"Thank you, Severus." She called after his retreating form.

The man paused at the door, nodded, and left.

The door did not close completely behind him before it was pushed open again. Voldemort entered the room.

"Mother, please go get Uncle Sev and bring him back." Draco addressed Narcissa. "I need to talk to him."

She nodded and left the room.

"Draco." Voldemort spoke as if he were supremely bored. "I am most disappointed in your behavior." He stood at the bedside, his hands folded behind his back.

"I apologize, my lord." Draco did his best to look repentant. "I don't know if it was from the curse I cast on Bellatrix, or from the potions Uncle Severus gave me during my recovery, but I had a tremendous headache. I had no idea what the muggle pain pills would do or that they could not be mixed with firewhiskey. I had never taken them before."

"Severus tells me you will make a full recovery, but that you may be incapacitated as long as three to four days. This is not acceptable, Draco. I do not tolerate weakness amongst my followers, and drug abuse, especially of a muggle drug, is an extreme weakness." The Dark Lord relaxed his posture, seeming to fidget with his wand as he spoke, but there was no doubt he was aware of every breath Draco took.

"Yes, my lord." Draco looked at his hands. "Believe me, I will never take them again. I don't even know what happened to them afterwards, and I have no intention of going looking for them."

"Very well." Voldemort nodded. "A wise man learns from his mistakes. Get your rest and recover quickly, Draco. I have plans for you."

He turned to leave, passing Snape at the door once again, trailed by Narcissa.

His mother made eye contact with Draco. "I'm going to get you some more potions." She closed the door, leaving him alone with his godfather.

"You wished to see me?" Uncle Sev droned.

Draco waved at the chair his mother had occupied. "I wanted to say I'm sorry. And to thank you for taking care of me last night. I don't deserve everything you have done for me and my family, but I am grateful."

Uncle Sev looked at the wall, clearly uncomfortable with Draco's praise. "Bellatrix..." he began.

"Yeah. She did." Draco interrupted. "She caught me under the effects of the drug and I couldn't stop her." he looked up at his godfather. "Do you have any..."

"She has already been given a morning after potion." Uncle Sev's dark gaze turned to bore into Draco's eyes.

"Thank you." he whispered, looking at his hands.

"I trust you will not repeat last night's escapades." Uncle Sev drawled.

"No. I had no idea how powerful those little pills were. I don't want to feel this way again." Draco glanced up to see Snape still staring at him, then faced the ceiling. "I don't want to give Bellatrix or anyone else the opportunity to catch me unable to fight them off."

They sat in silence for a moment before Draco spoke again. "You want to say something. Just spit it out."

"You love Miss Lovegood, whether you will admit it to yourself or not." Draco turned to him sharply, but Uncle Sev's expression hadn't changed. "She, in turn, is good for you. There is a Potter waiting in the wings to take her away if you don't do anything to stop it. Don't make that mistake."

"Maybe Potter should take her away." Draco said softly. "Because Merlin knows I'm no good for her."

"Let her be the one to make that decision." Uncle Sev's face still didn't change, but his eyes softened. "Let her in. You'll never regret the things you have done nearly as much as the ones you didn't."

Snape stood abruptly and left the room.

* * *

><p>There was a knock on the door. Luna positioned herself between the entryway and Caelum, her hand on the vial around her neck.<p>

"Come in.'' she called.

Her eyes widened as Voldemort walked in.

"Draco's in bed." she said, the first thing that came to her mind.

"Yes, I've spoken with him." Voldemort sneered, which was as close to a smile as he could manage. "I realized that I had been remiss in not checking on you and the child sooner, Miss Lovegood, to ensure that you had both recovered from your ordeals?"

"Yes," Luna smiled sweetly. "We both seem to have recovered very well."

"And the child, how is he progressing?" Voldemort bent down to look at Caelum.

"He's learning new things constantly." she gathered the child into her arms. "We're still working on the exercises for his legs. The incident with Bellatrix was quite a setback, as he had been standing only a day or so earlier." she left out the fact that he had only been standing because she had held him upright. "He's getting his strength back, so we're hoping it won't be too long before he's able to walk."

"And how are things with you and Draco?" he walked around her, glancing at the crib as he did so.

"I'd like to talk to you about that." her voice stopped Voldemort in his tracks.

"What do you wish to talk about?" he turned to face her.

"I want you to keep Bellatrix away from him." she replied calmly.

"What makes you think a prisoner in this household has the right to make any demands?" he asked.

"Because it's in your best interest." she answered. "Bellatrix won't stay away from him, which upsets and confuses him. Outside that door," she pointed toward the hallway. "he's yours. Inside this room, he's mine. We both want his mind clear and focused when he's with us."

Voldemort laughed. "I do like you, Miss Lovegood."

* * *

><p>AN - Yes, a short chapter, but I didn't want some of the things said here to get bogged down and lost as they could have if I had blended this in with the next chapter.

And Bitchpudding, you're psychic. ;)


	28. Chapter 26

"Duh! Duh!"

Draco opened his eyes again to find Luna peeking around the nursery door, which Caelum was slapping.

"Duh! Duh! Duh! Duh!" he chanted in time with his beating on the door.

"Bring him here." Draco groaned.

Luna sat in the chair beside the bed. Caelum practically leaped from her arms onto Draco's chest. He stretched up to plant a sloppy kiss on the side of his father's chin, then rolled over to sit on the bed beside him and chatter. There were a few Duh and Me and Eff and Gam, which at some point during all the past 48 hours' excitement, was the name he had bestowed upon Narcissa, as Luna informed Draco.

Caelum finally seemed to reach the end of his story, and looked at Draco with his held tilted.

"I missed you too." Draco told his son sincerely.

"Muh. Mee!" Caelum pointed to the bed beside him.

"Yes, Mummy!" Luna beamed at him.

Draco looked at her. "Why are you Mummy and I'm still just Duh?"

"Because the Dee sound is a more complex tongue movement. Mummy is mostly from the lips." she smiled at Caelum. "Or maybe it's just because Mummy is around more right now."

"Muh. Meeeeeee!" Caelum insistently pointed at the spot on the bed beside him.

"Who spoiled you so much?" Luna asked him, her eyes twinkling as she walked around to climb onto the other side of the bed.

"I'm sure it was Mummy." Draco smirked.

Luna stuck her tongue out at him. Caelum turned to Draco and did the same. Luna laughed and Draco frowned.

"Mummy should not teach you naughty habits." Draco shook his finger at Caelum and ended up gently tapping the child's nose when he giggled the whole time.

"Because Daddy will teach you plenty, I'm sure." Luna teased.

"Duh!" Caelum launched himself forward to nuzzle his head against Draco's. Then he sat up and turned to Luna, saying "Muh. Me." and repeating the action. He laid back in the bed and looked from one to the other with a big smile.

"You have your Mummy and your Daddy." Draco tickled the boy's tummy, making him shriek with laughter. "Are you happy now?"

"He seems to be." Luna smiled at the baby.

"What time is it?" Draco asked. "I think I slept through breakfast."

"It's about time for lunch." Luna answered. she looked at Caelum. "Are you hungry?"

Caelum looked from one to another. "Eff! Eff!" he shouted.

Rinka popped into the room. "Does Baby Master want Rinka?" she gave them a slightly dazed smile, still obviously thrilled that Caelum had learned a name for her.

"Mmmmmmmm!" Caelum hummed.

"He's hungry." Luna laughed. "So is Draco."

"Rinka will get lunch tray." the elf bobbed her head. "Does Master Draco want meal in bed?"

"Bring it to the nursery." Draco answered. "I'll try to get up and make it in there."

Rinka popped out of the room.

Draco turned and poked his son's tummy. "You." Caelum giggled. "You are not eating in my bed. You're messy."

Luna smirked at him. "As much as you threw up in this bed last night, you're worried about your son spilling uneaten food in it?"

"Did I really throw up that much?" he asked, looking a little apprehensive.

"I've never seen anyone throw up that much." Luna informed him. "Of course, Professor Snape had given you a potion for it, trying to get that stuff out of you." She smiled reassuringly at his horrified expression. "It's okay. Almost none of it got on the bed. I held your head over the side and you vomited into a basin."

Draco's expression didn't improve. "You held my head while I was sick?"

"Well, yes." Luna's brow creased. "Wouldn't you have done the same for me?"

"If you were that sick," he shrugged. "I probably would have been too busy throwing up too."

She smiled at him. "Men."

She took Caelum and strapped him into his highchair before returning to the bedroom for Draco.

He had managed to sit up on the side of the bed, holding his head in his hands.

"Are you all right?" she whispered, kneeling in front of him.

"Maybe this wasn't a good idea." he answered.

"Hold still." she leaned over and retrieved one of the potion vials Snape had left. "Here, drink this."

He obeyed, and a minute or two later, the nausea and dizziness started to subside.

"What happened to my clothes?" he asked, pointing to the pajama pants he was presently wearing.

"Professor Snape changed you." she tilted her head at him. "Your mother told Mimsy to clean your clothes but to burn them if they didn't smell better afterwards."

"That bad, huh?" he asked ruefully.

"You had been sick on them." she answered lightly.

"Help me up, please." he held out his hand.

Luna sprang to her feet and slowly helped him to stand, leaning him against her until he felt he was steady.

"I need the bathroom."

She walked beside him, holding his arm. She waited outside the door, peeking over to check on Caelum, who was happily banging on his highchair tray and apparently singing. Draco came out and she helped him into the armchair in the nursery.

Rinka brought the food, and they ate as if this were any other day. By the time the meal was finished, Draco's eyes were drooping and Caelum was yawning.

"Do you want to come take a nap with Daddy?" Draco asked.

Caelum held up his arms.

"I can't carry you right now. I'd probably drop you if you wiggled." he informed his son. "Let Mummy put me in the bed, and then she will come get you."

Luna helped him back to the bed, with Caelum randomly shouting their names behind them. She came back for the child.

"We did not forget you." she told him, shaking her head.

She laid him on the bed beside Draco. He scooted over to curl against his daddy's chest, and they were both asleep within moments.

Luna walked back into the nursery to find Narcissa waiting.

"I had hoped to take lunch with you, but perhaps this is better." Mrs. Malfoy told her. "With both of them asleep, we won't be disturbed."

Narcissa seated herself and asked Rinka to bring tea, dismissing her afterward. She flicked her wand to silence the room, and picked up her cup.

"I want to thank you." she began awkwardly. "That you were concerned enough to have someone look for Draco last night. If we hadn't found him when we did..." she looked down into her cup.

"I just had a feeling that something bad had happened." Luna answered. "And I didn't like the air Bellatrix had about her when I saw her near the kitchen."

"You know, don't you?" Narcissa looked pointedly at Luna.

"What do I know?" Luna asked innocently.

"About Bellatrix." Narcissa took a sip of her tea.

The dreamy look in Luna's eyes was gone in a flash, replaced by an intensity that made Narcissa's blood run cold. "That she has abused Draco repeatedly and that she's Caelum's biological mother?"

Narcissa looked down into her cup. "It did stop. She hadn't ... approached him from the time she found out she was pregnant until last night."

"I do believe she had _approached_ him several times lately." the light tone of Luna's voice contrasted with the ferocity of her words. "I can tell the change in him when she comes near him. She just hadn't _raped_ him again until last night."

Narcissa's hands shook, and she placed her cup on the tray.

"I hope I'm not the only one around here you're giving contraceptive potion." she added softly.

Narcissa's eyes flickered up, then back to her hands. "Bella was given a morning after potion to prevent, um, lasting consequences."

"Well that's something at least." Luna took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. "But there will be lasting consequences. At least as far as Draco is concerned. He had just really started to recover from everything that had happened before. The nightmares were decreasing, and he hadn't had one of those episodes lately."

"I know." Narcissa whispered, and Luna realized the older woman was crying.

"He doesn't know that I know." Luna told her. "I figured it out, but I haven't said anything. I've been waiting for him to tell me."

Narcissa nodded. "That's probably best."

"Why haven't you gotten him away from her?" Luna asked.

"How?" Narcissa cried, looking up, her eyes suddenly wild. "The Dark Lord has chosen him. I can't just say 'Oh, you can't have him, I've decided to send him on holiday for the next six months.' I can't get rid of Bella, because she is the Dark Lord's highest ranking official. Believe me, I've even tried to come up with a way to get her sent back to Azkaban without endangering Lucius and Draco, just to get her away from my son. My own sister!" The last sentence came out as a sob, and Narcissa clamped her jaw shut, her hand over her mouth.

"I've spoken to the Dark Lord." Narcissa's head shot up to see that the dreamy look was back in Luna's eyes. "I asked him to make Bellatrix stay away from Draco."

Narcissa's eyes widened. "And?"

"He said he would tell her, but Bellatrix is strong willed and not always obedient." Luna shrugged. "But it was better than nothing."

"Why would he agree?" Narcissa breathed.

"Because the more upset and distracted Draco is, the less service he is to the Dark Lord." Luna tilted her head.

"You love my son." Narcissa said softly. "I could see it in your eyes when you first came here. And now he loves you. You can repair his heart. But he has to get out of this house. Convince him to take Caelum and run away with you."

"I've tried." Luna smiled sadly. "He doesn't think the other side would accept him if he tried to join with them, and he's too afraid for us to be out there alone. That the Death Eaters would hunt us down and kill us."

"They probably would try." Narcissa agreed. "He's a lot more powerful than he believes he is."

"He has a very low opinion of himself." Luna nodded.

"It goes against everything I was raised to believe in," Narcissa looked her in the eye again. "But at this point I would fight alongside Potter, if it meant saving my son."

Luna reached over and squeezed Narcissa's hand. "We will save him."

* * *

><p>AN - A little longer chapter this time. Hopefully I'll get another one up tomorrow. Crabbe and Goyle are coming to visit.


	29. Chapter 27

Luna heard the sound of whimpering coming from Draco's bedroom, and put her book down. She instantly stood and headed toward the door.

Because it wasn't Caelum whimpering.

Draco shouted "NO!" about a second and a half before Caelum started crying. She broke into a run.

She came through the doorway just in time to see Draco thrashing with a very confused and frightened child sitting beside him. She dashed to the bed to snatch the baby, _her_ baby, out of harm's way. Draco would never hurt his son intentionally. However, his eyes were wide open and blank at the moment. He was trapped in the horrors in his mind and all bets were off..

"Shhhhhh." she held Caelum closed against her and rubbed his little back, trying to calm him. "It's okay, Mummy has you. Rinka!"

When the elf popped into the room, Luna shoved the child into her arms. "Get him out of here."

Rinka and Caelum popped out instantly.

"Draco!" she spoke loudly, trying to snap him out of it.

"Let me go!" he bellowed.

Luna realized his arms were above his head and he was struggling as if to free himself from being tied down. She crawled onto the other side of the bed.

"I'll let you go. I'm going to free you so you can get away and she can't hurt you." she said softly.

She reached up and gently laid a hand on one of his arms. "I'm going to help you."

He stopped struggling. Luna took his wrist and brought his arm down to lay it across his chest, and then repeated the action with the other one.

"You're safe now. You're free and she can't hurt you." she continued to soothe. She spied the tip of his wand sticking out from under a pillow. She touched it with one hand, while the other stroked his arm gently. "Accio glass."

She reached up to catch the glass as it came from the bathroom, and realized Narcissa was standing beside the bed. Draco's mother caught the glass, and realizing what Luna intended, filled it with an aquamenti.

"Here, sit up for me, Draco. You need to drink this." Luna slid an arm under him, and helped him into a semi-sitting position. She took the glass from Narcissa and held it to his lips. He obediently took several sips.

Narcissa nodded to her and went into the nursery.

Draco blinked a few times and looked at her. He was back.

"Luna?" he asked hoarsely.

"It's all right. I'm here, and I won't let anything hurt you."

He nodded, laying back down, turning onto his side, facing her. She reached over him to put the glass on the nightstand. She laid down facing him, one hand stroking his hair. He took her other hand and held it, his eyes already drifting closed again.

She waited until his breathing was even and his body totally relaxed before she removed her hand and got up.

She returned to the nursery to find Narcissa trying to rock Caelum and give him a sippy cup of warm milk. He was fussing and struggling with her.

"Caelum."

He turned at the sound of her voice, holding out his arms. "Muh-meee."

She took the child from his grandmother, walking him back over to the bedroom door. "See?" she whispered. "It's okay. Daddy is sleeping again. He had a bad dream."

She brought the baby back to the rocking chair. Narcissa vacated the seat so she could sit down.

"Would you hand me his dragon and that little green blanket?" Luna asked her softly.

Narcissa retrieved them, and Luna expertly wrapped Caelum in the blanket, handed him his dragon, and coaxed him to drink from the sippy cup, cradling him against her chest and beginning to rock. His eyes started to close almost immediately.

Narcissa smiled. "Call me if you need me." she whispered. "But it looks like you have it under control."

Luna nodded and smiled at Narcissa, before pressing her lips to Caelum's forehead.

* * *

><p>There was a soft tap at the door and then it was pushed open.<p>

"Draco?" his mother's head looked into the nursery, then pushed the door fully open. "Your friends are here."

She stepped into the room followed by Vincent Crabbe and Greg Goyle.

Both of them stood there, mouths hanging open and eyes wide.

"I'll leave you to get reacquainted." Narcissa smiled sweetly at her son before leaving the room. Her son glared in return.

Draco handed his son to Luna, rising to his feet, approaching his guests with a smile on his lips and caution in his eyes.

"Duh." Caelum called after him uncertainly.

"Gentlemen." Draco addressed them.

He held out his hand, and Crabbe grasped it, their left arms coming around to embrace each other in a one armed hug while they shook hands.

"Malfoy." Crabbe grinned.

He turned to Goyle to repeat the action, but the taller boy grabbed Draco into a bear hug.

"Merlin, man, school just hasn't been the same without you there." Goyle gushed.

"Um, thanks." Draco stepped back a little uncertainly.

"Malfoy." Crabbe looked around the room. "Why do you have a crib in your room?"

Draco rolled his eyes, annoyed that the two apparently hadn't gotten any smarter without him. "This isn't my room. My room is next door. This is the nursery."

"Why are you in the nursery?" Crabbe continued. "Why aren't you downstairs with the adults?"

"Muh-mee?" Caelum stared uncertainly at the two newcomers.

"Because I'm spending time with my son." he spit the words out and held his breath.

"You have a kid?" Goyle's eyebrows shot up to his hairline.

Crabbe's eyes widened and then narrowed as he realized who was holding the baby. "You had a baby with Loony Lovegood? How did the two of you have a baby with dark hair?"

Draco sighed. "She's not his mother. She takes care of him for me."

"Then why did he just call her mummy?" Goyle frowned.

"Because he can't say babysitter." Draco snapped. "Besides, he's just over a year old. He doesn't even know what mummy means."

"Why didn't you tell us you had a baby?" Crabbe looked slightly hurt.

"Because it wasn't something to brag about." Draco sighed again, feeling a little guilty. "Pansy and I had a fight. I sneaked off, went to Knockturn Alley, got drunk, and ended up with some slag. Nine months later she shows up with a kid that turned out to be mine. So my mother paid her off to go away and let us have the baby."

Crabbe and Goyle both nodded, apparently satisfied with Draco's story.

Draco glanced over at Luna. "Why don't you two go down and wait for me in the blue sitting room. Let me get a cloak and shoes and I'll be right down."

They both grinned.

"Okay!" Goyle agreed enthusiastically.

They filed out the door, slamming it behind them because neither one had ever learned to shut a door properly.

Draco turned to Luna, but she spoke first.

"Why did you lie to your friends?" she asked softly.

"That's the cover story my mother made up, what most of the Death Eaters believe. Caelum's mother was married to someone else when he was born, which would have caused a huge scandal." he shrugged.

"I meant telling them I was nothing more than Caelum's babysitter." there was hurt in her eyes.

She turned away, placing Caelum in his exercise bouncer.

"Luna." he shifted his weight from one foot to the other, unsure what to say.

"Your friends are waiting for you." she reminded him, not turning around.


	30. Chapter 28

"Does it hurt?" Crabbe asked. "Taking the Mark?"

"Like nothing I've ever felt before." Draco rubbed his arm subconsciously. "But it goes away. You could probably even take some pain potion beforehand, to dull it, you know."

"Boys."

The three were doing nothing wrong, but all still turned guiltily at the sound of Draco's mother's voice.

Old habits die hard.

"It's time to get ready for dinner." Narcissa smiled at them. "Draco, dear, bring Luna down with you. She'll be joining us this evening."

He frowned. "There are way more than thirteen here."

"Yes, but the Dark Lord asked for her tonight." Narcissa waved her fingers toward the house. "Don't keep the Dark Lord waiting."

"Wow." Crabbe gushed. "You get to eat with the Dark Lord every day."

"It gets to be normal after a while." Draco shrugged. "Like having Uncle Rod and Uncle Rab there. Except this uncle is pretty much all powerful and will kill at the drop of a wand."

"Wicked." Goyle grinned.

They made their way back into the house and up the stairs. Crabbe and Goyle had been assigned to the two guest suites in Draco's wing, of course. Just like when they were boys and used to spend the night. Somehow, they would always end up with all of them in Draco's room, usually found by his mother in the morning sprawled out on the carpet where they had fallen asleep.

Draco watched them enter their rooms with the eerie feeling that nothing would ever be the same again.

He came through the nursery to find Caelum in his exercise bouncer, happily playing with the attached toys. He looked around for Luna, and found her sitting on her bed, mostly obscured by the wide backside of Mrs. Goyle.

"What are you doing?" Draco asked, puzzled.

"I'm doing Luna's hair for her." Mrs. Goyle answered. "Special occasion, it is now."

"Why?" he asked.

"Because two new Death Eaters are being initiated tomorrow night, and you're actually going to be the leader of your own regiment." she clicked her tongue at him. "Well, you know what I mean. You've been leading other Death Eaters already, but this will be the first time you've had your own assigned younger members to train and so forth."

He rolled his eyes. "Vince is older than I am. And Greg's only, what, like three weeks younger than I am?"

She turned and put a hand on her hip. "Get your arse in there and get ready and stop giving me what for! Death Eater or no Death Eater..."

"Okay." Draco shrugged and headed for his room, pausing to kiss his son on the head.

Twenty minutes later, he returned to find Luna dressed and waiting, with Rinka already in the room to watch Caelum.

She was stunning, to put it mildly. She wore the same blue dress, but her hair had been piled up on top of her head with artfully arranged curls gracing the sides of her face. She wore just enough makeup to draw attention to her eyes, but not so much that she didn't look natural. The earrings Narcissa had given her for her birthday twinkled at her earlobes, and she wore one of his mother's necklaces, with diamonds surrounding a matching blue stone.

Luna cleared her throat, and he realized he had been staring. "Are you ready?"

"Oh, um, yeah." he shook his head, trying to remember what it was he was supposed to be ready for.

She kissed Caelum's cheek and turned toward the door. Draco kissed the child as well, and Caelum tried to wrap his arms around his father's neck.

"No, you have to stay with Rinka." he said gently.

"Duh!" the baby whined, stretching toward them.

"No, Caelum." Draco repeated.

"Muh-meeee." he called.

"Luna." she answered, stepping out of the door.

Draco charged out afterwards.

"What the hell was that? You're confusing him!" he snapped at her.

"Yes, it would be terribly confusing for him to call the babysitter mummy." she replied, setting off down the hall without waiting for Draco.

"Stop!" he ordered.

She obeyed, falling still at the top of the stairs, not returning or even looking back toward him.

He swept in front of her. "Look," he raised his hand to run it through his hair, then dropped it, realizing he couldn't go to dinner looking all mussed. "I'm sorry. I didn't know how to tell them what the dynamics were of everything with the two of us and Caelum. I just said the first thing that came to mind." he sighed. "You shouldn't read too much into it. I'm a Slytherin. There are a lot of times I don't mean what I say or don't say what I mean."

She looked at him sadly. "That's true, isn't it?"

"Daaaaaaaaaaaaamn." a voice said from the bottom of the stairs.

Crabbe and Goyle stood gawking like idiots again.

Draco stood beside her and held out his arm. "I'm sorry. We'll talk about this later, all right?"

Luna took his arm and allowed Draco to lead her down the stairs and into the dining room. Several small clusters of people stood around talking. Narcissa beckoned to Luna, while Crabbe and Goyle pulled Draco off in a different direction.

"When did Loony Lovegood get to be hot?" Crabbe asked, wide eyed.

"She doesn't look any different than she always did." Draco shrugged. "I guess we just had to grow up enough to appreciate it."

Goyle laughed. "Tomorrow in the shower, my hand is going to be her mouth."

"Ewww." Draco made a disgusted face at him. "I'm about to eat."

Goyle continued to grin lecherously. "I'm betting that girl could fuck you so good it would curl even Snape's greasy hair."

"Don't talk about her like that." Draco snapped.

"What?" Crabbe looked confused. "I know how you are Draco. You can't tell me that you've never wanted to just put the kid to bed and then bend her over that desk in the nursery..."

"Oh ho!" Goyle smirked, taking in the murderously dark look on Draco's face. "He _has_ been bending her over that desk."

"Just. Fucking. Stop." Draco growled.

"He has nothing better to do than use his imagination since he's still a vurrrrrrrrrrrr-gen." Crabbe stretched the word out.

Goyle rolled his eyes. "Whatever. He thinks he's the man since he nailed Millicent Bulstrode after the Slytherin Christmas party. She's such a slag, she'll spread for any guy who can get it up for her."

Draco made a face. "If he can get it up for her, he's a better man than I am."

"In the dark, all women look like Gwenog Jones." Crabbe smirked.

Goyle's head jerked up and he smiled. The other two followed his line of vision.

Luna was approaching.

"Miss Lovegood." Goyle took her hand and kissed it. "You look absolutely incredible this evening."

She smiled at him. "Thank you, Gregory."she turned to Draco. "It's time for everyone to be seated."

He held out his arm and escorted her to the table.

"Greg, what are you doing?" Crabbe hissed. "I really think Draco's got something going with her."

"Oh, I know Draco's got something going with her." Goyle watched them walk away. "But it's like you said last week. We haven't needed Draco all school year. Why do we need him now?"

* * *

><p>After dinner, everyone including Luna went to the drawing room for after dinner drinks. The champagne flowed freely and everyone congratulated Crabbe and Goyle, whom the Dark Lord had praised at dinner.<p>

Almost immediately, Draco was dragged away by Voldemort to meet the new headmaster of Durmstrang or at least the man who would be, as soon as the current headmaster was removed. He spent an hour trying to get away from the fawning parasite. He took three steps before he was pulled aside by his Uncle Rab to meet some up and coming Death Eater who wanted to infiltrate the French Ministry. Draco listened politely to the man's ludicrous plan, promising to mention the idea the Dark Lord.

He finally made his way back to where he had left Luna, to find Crabbe alone, hunched over a plate of desserts on a side table.

"Did Luna go back upstairs?" Draco asked.

"No." Crabbe mumbled around a mouthful of eclair. "She went for a walk with Goyle."

"When?" Draco eyes narrowed.

Crabbe shrugged. "I dunno. Right after you walked away."

"Fuck!" Draco stomped out of the room.


	31. Chapter 29

A/N - This chapter is a little short, so I was going to wait until in the morning, and post this one and the next one at the same time, but I hated leaving Draco in a panic that long. ;)

* * *

><p>Draco raced from the room, not sure where to go. Damn house almost as big as Hogwarts, they could be anywhere. It was a wonder anyone could ever find anything around there. He wondered for a moment how his mother had found him the other day when he was passed out.<p>

Trace! She had a trace on him. There was a trace on Luna as well.

He ran down the hall to a blank spot between paintings and pointed his wand at the wall. He was so wound up it took three tries before he did the spell correctly.

Outside. They were outside. They appeared to be sitting down, talking. Goyle's cloak was draped around Luna's shoulders. Tree. Gazebo in the background.

They were by the fish pond on the west side of the house.

Draco raced out the door, down the path, pulling up short when he reached the pond. They were on the bench. Goyle was apparently telling a story, gesturing wildly with his hands. Luna was laughing.

They both looked up. Luna tilted her head curiously. Goyle greeted Draco with a smug smirk.

"What the fuck are you doing out here with him?" Draco snarled, stomping over to tower over Luna.

"We went for a walk." Goyle jumped to his feet, agilely moving between Draco and Luna with surprising speed for someone of his size. "We sat down here for a minute and I was telling her about some of the things we used to get into when we were kids." he glared at Draco. "I think you owe her an apology for speaking to her like that."

Draco stared back at him for a long moment before nodding. Goyle stepped aside.

"Luna, I'm sorry for speaking to you the way I did." Draco said. He reached out and pulled her to her feet. "But you're coming back to the house with me now."

She blinked in surprise as Draco roughly pulled her against his side. He yanked Goyle's cloak off her and tossed it at the taller boy.

"What the..." Goyle thundered, throwing the cloak onto the bench and making to charge at Draco.

Draco already had his wand pointed at Goyle's chest.

"This is between us. Luna knows she shouldn't be out here without telling me or my mother where she was." Draco's wand didn't waver.

"I don't like the way you're treating this young lady, Malfoy." Goyle took a step closer, his huge hands curling into fists. "I think I'd better walk back to the house with the two of you."

Draco's lip tightened before he answered. "I won't let any harm come to her, Goyle. Which is why I'm getting her away from you."

Goyle picked up the cloak from the bench and reached over to place it back on Luna's shoulders. Draco slapped it away.

"Draco, get your head out of your arse! She's shivering!" Goyle gestured at Luna.

Draco stubbornly shoved the cloak aside and cast a warming charm on Luna. "Then I'll take her back to the house. To my suite. And warm her up."

"Are you two through with your territorial marking behaviour?" Luna asked.

Draco looked up at Goyle with a smirk and did one thing Goyle couldn't do. He pulled Luna against him and apparated them into the house.

They landed in the nursery with a much louder crack than the usual soft pops of the house elves, which woke Caelum. Luna reached the crib first, lifting the crying child into her arms and shushing him. Draco walked over and rubbed his hand over Caelum's back, leaning down to kiss the baby's head.

"Mummy has you. Mummy and Daddy are here." he whispered.

Luna looked up at him, and he nodded.

"Go back to sleep, sweetheart." she whispered.

He yawned broadly, then snuggled into Luna's chest and closed his eyes. She waited a moment until the baby was fully back asleep before laying him in his crib.

"Are you still cold?" Draco asked softly.

Luna nodded. "A little."

"Rinka, get us some hot cocoa, please." the elf popped out of the room. "Why don't you go ahead and get changed while she's gone."

Draco went to his own room, swapping his dress robes for a long sleeved pullover and pajama pants. By the time he had returned, Luna was in her own pajamas. Rinka returned a moment later with two steaming mugs.

Draco dismissed Rinka, then locked and silenced the room. He flicked his wand to move the armchair over in front of the fireplace and widen it so that they could sit side by side.

Once they were seated and Luna had a few sips of her cocoa, Draco finally spoke.

"I'm sorry. I know I hurt your feelings. But why would you go off with him?. Goyle is not a nice person." he looked at her intently.

"He was perfectly fine. He was a complete gentleman, and very charming and polite." she assured him.

"He wasn't doing it from the kindness of his heart. He's a Slytherin." Draco shook his head.

"You're a Slytherin." Luna pointed out.

"He's about to be a Death Eater." Draco argued.

"You're already a Death Eater." Luna reminded him. "You're going to be his boss, so to speak."

"You have no idea the things he was saying about you before dinner." he continued.

"You told me not to when I told you I loved you. You encouraged Caelum to call me Mummy, but then told your friends I was just his babysitter." she said softly.

"So you went off with him to get back at me?" his voice was starting to rise.

"No. I was just talking to another person. It's nice to have someone else to talk to sometimes." she laid her hand over Draco's.

"I don't want you to talk to that baboon! I want you to stay here and be Caelum's mummy because he needs you and I need you!" Draco's voice was still on the edge of panic. "You're the only one who accepts me like I am and tries to fix me! You promised me." he whined. "The day I fell asleep in the blue sitting room and woke up with my head in your lap. You promised me that you wouldn't leave me!"

She reached up and placed her hand on his cheek. "Just because I talk to someone else doesn't mean I don't love you and Caelum any more."

She leaned in and kissed him softly on the lips. He wrapped his hand around the back of her neck and brought her in, kissing her deeply. His tongue expertly dipped between her lips and he began to push her backwards slightly. His hand left the back of her neck to come around and find the hem of her pajama top. Just as his fingers brushed bare skin, his leg was suddenly hot and wet.

He had spilled his cocoa.

"Damnit." he muttered.

Luna laughed. He quickly cleaned up the mess with his wand while she finished her drink and set the mug aside. He kissed her again, then pulled back and looked at her.

"Not tonight." he whispered. "I want to be sure there are no thoughts of Goyle in your head when we take things further."

"I don't think about him anyway." she promised.

She laid her head against Draco's chest, and spent the next hour listening to his heartbeat and watching the fire.


	32. Chapter 30

The next morning, Crabbe and Goyle came to the door just after breakfast.

"Hey Draco, you coming down to work with us, like the Dark Lord said?" Crabbe asked.

Draco nodded. "Yeah. Let me get my cloak and shoes. I'll be right down." He closed the hall door and headed to his room.

There was another soft tap at the door.

"Luna?"

She opened the door to Goyle.

"I just wanted to say that I enjoyed talking to you last night." He said softly. "And I wanted to apologize for the scene in the garden. I wouldn't have asked you to come with me if I had known you would get in trouble."

"That's …"

"Fine." Draco interrupted whatever Luna had been about to say. "Thank you for your apology. Very well done of you. Now, let's get going." He kissed Caelum's cheek and nodded toward the door.

He stopped when he reached Luna, pulling her close. "I probably won't be back for lunch but I'll see you this afternoon." He looked at Crabbe and Goyle before he gave Luna a quick kiss on the lips and followed his trainees into the hall.

He returned later that afternoon to an empty nursery and a note.

_D,_

_Your mother asked me to come to her quarters to get ready. She wants to find me another dress so I don't wear the same one two nights in a row. Caelum is with me._

_Love,_

_L_

He showered and dressed, musing on how it was a good thing that men could show up wearing the same thing over and over again and no one thought twice about it.

By the time he was dressed and came to the nursery, Rinka was feeding Caelum his dinner. Narcissa had succeeded in finding Luna a different dress. This one was Slytherin green with black lace. The bodice was boned and fitted, with ribbon lacing it up the the back like one of Bella's corsets.

He took one look at her, barked out a hoarse "Come here." and closed and silenced the bedroom door behind her.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Yes." he pulled her close and whispered into her ear. "How am I supposed to pay attention to anything else with you looking like this?"

"Your mother thought you would like this dress." She smiled against his shoulder.

"My mother is an evil, manipulative woman." he muttered.

"Who wants her son to be happy." Luna added.

"What would make me happy is for us to stay here." he smirked.

"Or you could walk into the dining room with me, while Crabbe and Goyle walk in with ..." she paused for dramatic effect. "Each other."

He chuckled. "I like that plan too."

He gave her a quick kiss, and then led her back through the nursery so they could tell Caelum goodbye.

The clusters of conversation in the dining room were already starting to break apart as people made their way to the table. He paused where Crabbe and Goyle were standing with Rowle, Snape and Rab Lestrange.

"Are you ready for this?" he asked his two former sidekicks. Both agreed enthusiastically.

"Miss Lovegood." Rab took her hand and drew her a step forward. He raised her hand to his lips, lingering over it a bit too long for Draco's liking. "You look positively ravishing this evening."

Draco moved directly behind her, looping an arm around her waist and bending to kiss the spot where her shoulder met her neck. "She does, doesn't she?" he smirked at the group with warning in his eyes.

"Well then, let's adjourn to dinner, shall we?" Uncle Rab gestured at the table.

Draco could swear he saw something that looked like approval pass across Uncle Sev's face.

The Dark Lord had rearranged the seating for the evening, with Draco at his right hand and Bellatrix directly across to his left. Luna was seated beside Draco and Snape on the other side of Bella.

Draco made a conscious effort not to look at Bella, looking at everything else around them. Luna's hand rested on his leg under the table.

"Severus." Voldemort addressed. "Any word on the search for Potter?"

"No, my lord." Snape dipped his head. "He has not made contact with anyone at Hogwarts. He and the mudblood have been travelling about the countryside, camping in a tent We have tracked them, narrowly missing capturing them on several occasions."

"Running about, sleeping in a tent?" Voldemort laughed. "Only him and the mudblood? On the run and abandoned by their friends?" He raised his voice so that the other end of the table could hear. "What a disappointment their hero has turned out to be!"

There was scattered laughter from around the table.

Draco looked down the table. He had advised Crabbe and Goyle that they might not want to eat much before the ceremony. Draco's nerves had prevented him from eating before he was marked. If there had been anything in his stomach that day, he probably would have embarrassed himself in front of the group. Goyle apparently had taken Draco's advice and was picking at his food. Crabbe was shoveling his meal in with both hands, eating enough for both of them.

As dinner wound down, Voldemort stood and addressed the group assembled.

"We are gathered here tonight to honor the two newest members of our group, but we would not be here were it not for the efforts of the faithful who have served me so well over the years. Severus Snape, who is so competently overseeing Hogwarts for us. Rowle and Yaxley, for their excellent work within the Ministry. The Malfoy family, for their generous use of their home. The Lestrange family, for their many years of loyalty. And young Draco, who is the first general of the third generation, and whom I look forward to having by my side and training the future followers for many years." He raised his glass. "I salute all of you."

Everyone raised their glasses to the toast.

"Now, we shall adjourn our group to the drawing room for tonight's ceremony." The Dark Lord gestured toward the door.

"My lord," Draco said softly.

Voldemort turned and nodded for Draco to approach, inclining his head for Draco to speak privately.

"I'm going to see Miss Lovegood upstairs and I will be right there." Draco whispered.

"She is welcome to join us, Draco." Voldemort sneered.

"Things are going well as far as her beginning to trust us and sympathize with our ideas. I don't want to frighten her and cause regression." He smirked. "And besides, this evening's ceremony may be a bit intense for a young woman in a delicate condition."

Voldemort turned to face him. "She's expecting now?"

Draco gave a half shrug. "Time will tell. I've certainly been trying to create a family with her."

The Dark Lord laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. "Take her upstairs and come straight back."

Draco escorted Luna to the nursery, pausing to kiss her at the door. "I'll probably be pretty late." He told her. "Don't wait up for me. " He kissed her again. "Don't give the dress back. I want to see you in it again."

"But it's your mother's dress." She protested.

"My mother has never worn that dress in her life." He assured her. "It's not her style." He kissed her again. "And if she argues, I'll buy her another one."

Luna grinned at him. "You're very spoiled."

"I know. Good night." He gave her one last kiss.

"Good night." She whispered.

He waited until she was in the nursery and locked the door behind her with his wand. He made his way back toward the drawing room. He had just reached the bottom of the stairs when a figure stepped out of the shadows.

"Well, I see you're dressing your whore like me now. I should be flattered." Bellatrix blocked his way, twisting a strand of hair around one finger.

Draco rolled his eyes. "My mother dressed her."

"But you liked it very much." she smirked.

"All men have a fascination with corsets. It starts when we're about 12 and sneaking peeks into our fathers' magazines." he snorted.

She stepped closer, and leaned toward him to whisper in his ear. "I would look better in that dress."

He shook his head. "With the right spells, my father would look good in that dress."

She stepped back to look him in the eye again. Her hands moved to the top of her corset-like bodice. Never breaking eye contact with Draco, she began to unfasten the hidden tiny hooks that kept the dress closed. "I'm sure I would look better out of it, too."

He flicked a non-verbal petrificus totalus at her and snickered as Bella fell to the floor, frozen in the act of unfastening her dress. "Sorry, I have a ceremony to attend." he stepped around her and went on to the drawing room.

"Finite Incantatem!" Rowle unbound Bellatrix and helped her to her feet. "I thought the Dark Lord told you not to touch Draco."

"I didn't touch Draco." she flounced toward the drawing room.

"It sure looked like you were trying." Rowle followed her to the drawing room.

"No, I was trying to make him touch me. There's a difference." she informed him sweetly.

* * *

><p>The ceremony went as planned. Crabbe threw up, as Draco predicted.<p>

Afterward, Crabbe and Goyle both wanted to compare their marks to Draco's. Goyle kept looking at his with a mixture of fascination and disbelief and said at least four times that he couldn't believe he was finally a Death Eater. Crabbe pulled one of the house elves aside and asked if there were any of those pastries from last night left over.

All the Death Eaters congratulated them, welcomed them to the ranks, and said all the things they were expected to say. Firewhiskey flowed like water.

It was well after midnight by the time the Dark Lord excused himself for the evening, leaving Draco, Crabbe, Goyle, and a few stragglers to find their way back to wherever they should be.

Goyle yawned broadly. "I know I'll be sleeping in tomorrow. You coming, guys?"

Draco looked around. "Go on up. I'm going to make sure anyone who's left can make it home or we find them a place to stay."

"I'll be up in a minute too." Crabbe waved him on.

Goyle nodded to the two of them and headed up the stairs. Draco determined the remaining guests were sober enough to get home, and turned around to find Crabbe in front of him.

"Draco, can I talk to you?" he asked.

They stepped into the mudroom near the side door. At Crabbe's nod, Draco locked and silenced the door with his wand. As soon as Draco turned around, Crabbe snatched the wand out of Draco's hand, slamming him backwards against the wall with a meaty hand closing around Draco's throat.

"You may be the Dark Lord's little fair haired boy right now, Malfoy, but it won't last." Crabbed growled in his face. "Me and Goyle, we haven't needed you for almost a year. We won't need you now. Go ahead and do what you do best, and run like the little coward you really are. Because when we get through with our training, we're going to be the Dark Lord's new generals. We're going to be commanding his new recruits. We're going to sit beside him at dinner. We're going to live here in Malfoy Manor. And we're going to fuck your girlfriend."

Draco barely blinked. He shook his left arm once as if he had a cramp in it, and a light colored wand with intricate carvings slid into his hand from the holster up his sleeve.

Crabbe was lifted with a non-verbal levicorpus to dangle by one leg for a moment, before being unceremoniously dropped to the floor. As soon as he landed, he was hit with a half a minute of the cruciatius curse.

By the time he caught his breath, Draco's boot was squarely in the center of his chest, and the blond's pointed face was bent down to look into the bigger boy's round one as Draco retrieved his own wand which had fallen to the floor.

"I don't fucking think so." Draco snapped before standing up, placing his weight on the foot on Crabbe's chest while kicking him in the side with the other heel, and then stomping out of the room.


	33. Chapter 31

A/N - Thank you to those of you who pointed out the typo in the last chapter. It's fixed now.

And I just want to say thank you to everyone who has reviewed. I can't believe we're about to hit 150 reviews! Your feedback is really important to me. It really does help to know what people think and feel when they read the story.

Thanks again to all of you!

* * *

><p><em>They were in the nursery. Draco was rocking Caelum and the blond boy on the horse, while Luna watched from the chair. <em>

_The door opened, and Voldemort walked in. He strode directly to the rocking horse, snatching the blond child up in his arms, knocking Caelum to the ground in the process. _

_"Duh!" Caelum held up his arms, and Draco moved toward him before a bolt of green light struck the child in the chest, and he didn't move again. _

_"NO!" Draco shouted. _

_The Dark Lord laughed, and turned to leave, the blond toddler still in his arms. _

_"Daddy! Mummy!" the boy cried._

_"NO! Don't take him!" Draco cried, but Voldemort kept walking. _

_Luna screamed. Draco turned to see Crabbe and Goyle pulling her out the door. _

_He tried to go after them, to get Luna back. He couldn't move. _

_A dark silhouette loomed over him. _

_"Oh, Draco." Bella purred. "What are you thinking? You're mine. You'll always be mine. Because I'll never let you go."_

_He struggled, but the invisible bonds held him securely against the nursery floor. Bella was straddling him, slowly unbuttoning his shirt. _

_"Bella, don't." _

_"You don't mean that." she taunted, reaching down, finding that his body was already betraying him. "See, you're almost ready for me." _

_"No!" he cried. "Luna! Caelum!" he tried to throw Bella off, but he couldn't move. "Let me go to them!"_

_"The Dark Lord has taken them from you." she murmured, kissing his neck, unbuttoning his pants. "And the Dark Lord has given you to me."_

_"Get off me!" he bellowed, fighting with everything in him to break the spell. _

_"Draco." came a soft voice. "Draco."_

_"Luna!" he could hear her, but he couldn't see her. He tried to turn his head, but he couldn't break Bella's hold. _

_"I'm here, Draco. Just open your eyes." _

* * *

><p>He was in his bed, with Luna sitting beside him. He surged upward, wrapping both arms around her. She stroked his back and smoothed his hair as he shuddered and clung to her.<p>

A faint cry began from in the nursery.

"Go get him." Draco whispered. "Bring him in here."

Luna returned a moment later with Caelum, who had stopped crying but had a decidedly grumpy look on his face at being woken at this hour.

Draco pulled both of them into his lap.

"Duh. Muh-mee." Caelum muttered sleepily.

"Yes, we're all here together. Like we're supposed to be." Luna said softly. "It was just a dream."

"The Dark Lord took the two of you away from me." Draco whispered into her hair. "And he gave me to Bella for her to ... to do what she wanted with me."

Luna snuggled against his chest, reaching her hand up to the back of his neck. "It was just a dream." she repeated.

Caelum was already asleep and starting to droop over so Luna started to get up. "Just let me put him back to bed."

"No," Draco begged. "Both of you stay here with me."

Luna gently laid the child on the mattress, and moved around to the other side of him. Draco laid down, with Caelum between them, reaching over to hold Luna's hand as they went back to sleep.

Draco knocked softly on the door of his mother's private sitting room.

"You wanted to see me?" he peeked in.

"Draco. Darling, come in. Have some tea." she smiled at him.

"What do you want?" he asked, eyes narrowing.

She huffed. "A few minutes with my only child. Is that not allowed?"

"Of course, Mother." he obediently sat and took his cup of tea.

"Have the boys gone?" she took a dainty sip.

"Yes, they left to go back to Hogwarts. The Dark Lord wants to keep a solid presence there, as well as them recruiting new followers." he looked into his cup.

"You don't seem terribly sad to see them go." she observed.

He didn't answer.

"Unfortunately, as friends grow up, often they grow in different directions." she took a sip of her tea.

"They've changed a lot." Draco muttered.

"Actually, my dear, I think you've changed more." she smiled at him for a moment, and then the expression fell. "And I think Greg showed a little too much interest in Luna for your liking."

He frowned but again didn't answer.

"Mother." he finally spoke a few minutes later. "How long would it take for the contraceptive potion to get out of her system?"

"Draco." she shook her head. "You ... no. That's not the answer."

"Just tell me." he snapped. "I want to know."

"Two weeks or so." she sighed. "But I'm telling you, this is not what either of you need."

"No, but it's what the Dark Lord wants." he spat angrily.

"Is it?" she drew back and looked at him. "Is the Dark Lord pressing the matter, or is this what Draco thinks will keep her from leaving?"

He looked at her, several expressions flickering across his face.

"Dobby left you." his mother looked at him with sympathy. "Pansy left you. And even though it was an evil, non-consensual, perverted excuse for a relationship, in a way, Bella left you and Caelum. You're afraid Luna will leave you too."

He folded his arms and tightened his lips.

"Give her more credit, Draco. Luna loves you. It's not the Dark Lord that's keeping her in this house. If he told her today that she was free to go, I don't think she would leave you and Caelum." she took a sip of her tea and continued on. "If you want to make sure she stays, marry her."

He frowned at her. "Are you out of your mind? What would happen to her, if Potter wins? She'll be tossed into Azkaban with the rest of us, even though she would have done nothing wrong. And if we win, what's to stop the Dark Lord from ... " he paused, taking a deep breath before continuing on. "putting her away or worse, because she was part of the other side?"

"And you think having a child is a better solution?" she looked at him, shaking her head. "You think it's fair to ask her to carry a child in her body for nine months and in her heart the rest of her life because of your insecurity? A child that could be taken from her, from both of you, on the Dark Lord's orders? To bring another person into this household for the Dark Lord to possibly torture?"

He dropped his head into his hands. "You don't know the things Crabbe and Goyle threatened. They want my position, and they're willing to do whatever is necessary. Vince said they would rape her. If she's already carrying my child..."

"Draco, that's all the more reason to leave her on the potion." Narcissa insisted. "We'll do everything we can to protect her of course, but if the worst happened, do you want to risk her possibly having a child as a result? Luna would not abort a child if there was a possibility it was yours. And do you think for one minute her being pregnant would stop them? No, and they would most likely cause her to lose the child in the process, and don't you think that would hurt her that much worse?"

He sighed, slumping in the chair with his head against the back. "Can we talk about something else?"

"Of course." she smirked at him. "I take it you liked the dress."

He rolled his eyes. "What was that all about?"

"What did you think of when you saw Luna in that dress?" she asked sweetly.

"Things I should not be discussing with my mother." he narrowed his eyes at her.

"Very good." she poured herself another cup of tea. "With Luna, I take it."

"Yes, with Luna." he grumbled.

"Good." she took a sip of her tea.

"Good what?" he snapped.

"Because you weren't supposed to think of Bella." she smiled.


	34. Chapter 32

A/N - Insomnia = next chapter.

* * *

><p>The next morning Mimsy brought a huge vase full of flowers to the nursery.<p>

"These are for Missy Luna." She placed them on the desk and waddled out of the room.

"How beautiful." Luna's eyes lit up, inventorying the extravagant assortment of magical and muggle flowers.

"Who are they from?" Draco stomped over and angrily snatched the card.

_Hope to see you when I'm there next month._

_Greg_

Draco threw the card down and reached for the flowers.

"No!" Luna cried.

"No!" Caelum repeated.

"Very good!" she praised the baby.

"No no no no no no!" Caelum chanted, clapping his hands.

Draco rolled his eyes. "You stay out of this." He told his son and turned back to Luna. "You are NOT having another man send you flowers!"

"Maybe you should tell Greg that." Luna tilted her head at Draco. "They're very pretty flowers. This is the first time anyone has ever sent me flowers."

He huffed. "You want flowers? Fine, I'll send you flowers! I'll buy you a whole fucking florist shop!"

"No no no no no no no." Caelum sang.

"It doesn't count if you ask for them." She shook her head.

"Then I won't buy you flowers!" he thundered. "What do you want, then?"

"You." She said softly.

He stopped and looked at her.

"I never asked for flowers." She continued. "Or jewelry or anything else. I just want you and Caelum."

"I still don't want Greg Goyle sending you flowers." His voice had almost returned to normal.

"Take them downstairs if you don't want them in here." She offered. "But don't throw them away. They're beautiful flowers."

He turned and reached for the vase. "I'm going to send you flowers."

"Okay." She smiled.

One of the flowers bit Draco. "Fuck!" he shouted. "He probably charmed them to do that."

"Fuh!" Caelum repeated. "Fuh fuh fuh fuh."

"No." Luna turned to him. "That is a naughty word and you should not say that."

"Fuh!" he repeated.

"No." Luna told him again.

Caelum tilted his head and pointed at his father. "Duh!"

Luna looked over at Draco and back at Caelum. "Daddy is a bad boy. You do not say that word."

Draco smirked. "Daddy's going to take these downstairs now."

* * *

><p>The Dark Lord called his inner council for a luncheon meeting.<p>

"It seems that Potter and his little friends are still running like scared rabbits. How disappointing. that the Chosen One, the so called Savior of the Wizarding World, is nothing but a frightened child. He has remained hidden and on the run through all these months of our raids, and our control of the Ministry and Hogwarts." Voldemort began to circle the table. "I grow weary of the foolishness. I cannot destroy what I cannot find. Therefore, we must bring Potter and his misfit companions out of hiding so I can finish him off. The question is, how to go about it." He finished his circuit and returned to stand at the head of the table. "He seems to have no attachment to his muggle relatives, so finding and threatening them would be of no use. His magical relatives are, of course, all dead." he laughed, and Bellatrix along with him. "The Weasleys have gone into hiding. There is but one place left where his friends, his sympathies, and his loyalties lie. Hogwarts."

Draco's head jerked up, as did Snape's.

"We shall plan our attack on Hogwarts." the Dark Lord placed his hands on the table, leaning forward.

"My lord," Draco began. "What of your plans to recruit followers among the students?"

"The attack will not be aimed at the students. At least, not the majority of them. We will capture his supporters at the school such as McGonagall and Hagrid. Possibly some of his little friends in Dumbledore's Army. I'm sure you remember who they were, Draco." at his pointed look, Draco nodded, cold dread seeping through him. The Dark Lord continued. "The Order members outside the school will be lured into the trap, trying to rescue their friends, as our illustrious Headmaster," he straightened, gesturing grandly at Snape. "will have changed the protective enchantments on the school. Potter will either return and stage an ill-fated rescue attempt, or allow us to destroy the Order, and with it, those who would harbor and assist him." Voldemort looked around the table, sneering. "And perhaps our show of strength at the school will inspire loyalty among the students. Or at least, show them the consequences of opposing us."

Bellatrix, Greyback, and Rowle laughed. Draco nodded, trying not to look sick.

"My lord," Snape drawled. "It shall take time to change the enchantments at Hogwarts. They were placed by the greatest cursebreakers of all time and have stood, some of them, for hundreds of years. Even inventorying all of the wards could take more than a week."

Voldemort nodded. "I am well aware, Severus. We shall tentatively set the date for the tenth of May, which gives us about seven weeks. I shall expect a report on the status of recounting the enchantments on the school in ten days' time."

"Yes, my lord." Snape nodded.

"Draco, in the meantime," Voldemort looked to the man at his right. "I shall expect you to compile a list of the members of Dumbledore's Army."

"Yes sir." Draco forced from his dry throat.

"Bella dear, you may do what you do best. Plan how to torture those who oppose us." he flashed her an indulgent look, and she lit up with delight.

Voldemort issued a few more banal instructions, and dismissed the meeting. Draco escaped the room as quickly as possible, leaving behind an almost untouched plate of food.

He locked himself in the nearest bathroom, splashing water on his face, gripping the sides of the sink convulsively. Faces of the Dumbledore's Army members began to pop into his head, unbidden. Longbottom, who could barely manage to wipe his own arse. Finnegan of the exploding cauldrons. The matching dark eyes of the Patil twins. Lavender Brown, the great lust of Blaise Zabini's life. Weaselette, with the fire in her eyes matching her fiery hair. That Creevey kid, who perpetually seemed to have had too much sugar. Boot, his polar opposite, so quiet and serious all the time. None of them deserved to die. They were just teenagers.

And the Dark Lord was asking him to sell them out.

He didn't want any more blood on his hands.

Not even the Scarhead's blood.

He forced his breathing to slow and his heart rate to stabilize with the practice of someone who has done so way too many times in his young life and left the bathroom.

Luna waited for him at the foot of the stairs.

"Where's Caelum?" he frowned. "What are you doing down here?"

"He's taking his nap." she stepped forward to link her hand through his and lead him down the corridor. "The elf is with him. I thought we could have a little time, just the two of us."

He looked down at her face. The dreaminess in her eyes had been replaced with a controlled intensity.

"You did, did you?" he asked.

"Mmm-hmm." she agreed, leading him into the solarium and closing the door behind them.

"What did you have in mind?" he arched an eyebrow at her.

"Something like this." she pressed against him, threading her fingers through his hair and pulling him into a deep kiss.

He drew back and leered at her. "You didn't get enough last night?"

She gave him a lust filled smile. "You know I never get enough of you."

Her lips pressed against his neck, working their way toward his collar as her hands came up to the buttons of his shirt. He leaned in, his breath fluttering her hair as he whispered in her ear.

"Finite incantatum."

"Fuck you." she growled, smacking him on the chest with the heel of her hand as the glamour fell away.

"You were trying, Bella." he smirked.

He stepped back, away from her. Her hand went for her wand. He was faster.

He apparated into his bedroom, knowing she wasn't a Malfoy, she couldn't apparate in the house, and she couldn't get into his quarters if she followed him up there.

It was a hell of a thing to have to hide in your room in your own house.

Luna came through the connecting door, her hand wrapped around the vial at her neck. She tilted her head at him. "Everything all right?"

"Yeah." he sighed. "I just had to make a quick getaway from Bellatrix."

She walked over to him, looking up sadly. She wrapped her arms around his waist and laid her head against his chest.

"I'm glad you're safe." she whispered.

His arms encircled her, and he rested his head on top of hers. He stayed that way for a long time, just absorbing the feeling of being safe.


	35. Chapter 33

_They were next to the lake. He didn't know why._

_But he and Luna and the two boys sat on a blanket next to the Great Lake at Hogwarts, with Luna urging the toddlers to watch the lake for a glimpse of the Giant Squid._

_Suddenly they were surrounded, and Luna and the babies were pulled away from him. Draco struggled to get to them, but found himself held from behind, staring up into the face of Neville Longbottom. Finnegan and Corner stood at his elbows._

_"Give back my family!" Draco ordered._

_"You're the one destroying families." Longbottom snapped. "You and the Death Eaters are killing innocent people. Women and children."_

_"I haven't killed anyone!" Draco cried._

_"You're guilty by association with the Death Eaters." Longbottom informed him. "You haven't done anything to stop what they're doing."_

_"So you're going to kill my woman and children, and you think that makes you better?" Draco asked in disbelief._

_"We haven't killed anyone either." Longbottom folded his arms. "But we will do whatever we can to protect innocent people. Join us if you want to save your family."_

_"Are you crazy?" Draco shook his head. "If I joined you it would condemn all of us to death! The Dark Lord is after the lot of you. He's not after my family."_

_"Are you certain of that?" a soft voice asked. He looked over to see Cho Chang holding Caelum. "Do you really believe he won't destroy your family?" she turned and walked away with his son._

_"Luna! Caelum! Scorpius!" he shouted, fighting with everything he had, but he couldn't move._

_"Draco." Luna's voice came from far away. "Draco come to me. Open your eyes."_

He was in his own bed, Luna beside him, brushing his hair from his face.

"His name is Scorpius." Draco said, looking somewhat dazed.

"Who?" Luna asked, puzzled.

"Our son." He shook his head as her eyes narrowed. "The second one. Caelum's little brother. I've seen him in my dreams several times. A blond baby."

"Oh." she tilted her head at him. "Does that mean it's time for us to start trying to have him now?"

Draco frowned, thinking. "No. Not yet. I just know what his name is."

"Okay." she said, leaning over to kiss his forehead. "Goodnight, Draco."

She started to stand but he pulled her back down.

"Stay in here with me." he said.

"Do you want me to get Caelum?" she asked.

"No." he pulled her down to lay beside him. "Just us."

He snuggled her against his chest and went to sleep.

* * *

><p>Luna woke up with her back pressed against something hard.<p>

And that something hard moved her hair off of her neck and pressed his lips there before his hand slid under her pajama top. She sighed, involuntarily arching her back while her hand reached up to the back of his head. His hand closed over her breast as his erection ground against her hip. He kissed from just below her ear to where her neck met her shoulder.

She pulled away just enough so that she could turn to face him, momentarily taken aback by the way his eyes had darkened.

"Good morning." she whispered, pressing her lips to his. Their lips parted and tongues met as she slid her hand down his back to just above his waist, finding a spot that made him shiver. His hand was creeping back under her pajama top. Their mouths separated, and as his dropped to the neck of her shirt, hers found his ear, causing him to buck against her. Emboldened, she flicked his earlobe with her tongue, causing him to gasp. His hand left her chest to reach back and grasp hers, directing it toward the front of his pajama pants. Their eyes locked and neither could look away. Luna's hand touched him through his clothes, and his lips moved toward hers again.

"Muh-meeeee!" a voice called from the next room. "Duh! Muh-mee!"

Draco's face scrunched. "Remind me that I love that child." he sighed.

Luna laughed and slid out of bed, returning a moment later with Caelum, who squealed at his daddy.

Draco took him and snuggled him for a moment, while Luna went to the bathroom. By the time she returned, Caelum was sitting on the bed making his "mmmmm" sound.

"Call her." Luna instructed him.

"Eff! Eff!" he shouted, giggling.

Rinka popped in, promising to return with the breakfast tray in just a moment. Luna took Caelum and put him in his high chair while Draco got up.

Narcissa stopped in just as they started eating, telling Draco the Dark Lord wanted to see him as soon as he was dressed.

Caelum picked up a piece of crispy bacon with a little too much force, causing it to break and the larger part to land on the floor. He leaned over, watching it fall to the carpet, then looked up at Draco and said "Fuh!"

Narcissa burst into laughter. Luna and Draco both scolded the child, reminding him that he was not supposed to say that word.

When she finally composed herself, Narcissa looked at her son. "I told you he would pick up that word."

* * *

><p>"Draco," Voldemort called him back as the others filed out of the room. "Something is troubling you."<p>

"No, my lord." Draco dipped his head in reverence. "I fully agree with striking the Order tonight."

"My boy, I know you too well." The Dark Lord's eyes bored into his. "It does not bode well for our relationship if you cannot trust me enough to be honest."

Draco took a deep breath and plunged in. "My lord, the members of Dumbledore's Army. they're kids. Don't you think they could be retrained? Look how well the retraining has gone with Luna. She was one of them."

Voldemort gave him a pitying look. "Draco, perhaps some of them could be retrained. But you're talking about expending time and manpower on an impractical project. In every war there is collateral damage. If you cannot accept this, you do not have a place as one of my generals."

"Yes my lord." Draco nodded. "It just seems like such a waste, to destroy so much talent."

* * *

><p>At 2:13am, the shouting began.<p>

It was coming from downstairs.

Luna couldn't make out words, only loud voices of apparently several different people, and the sounds of movement. She silently crept over, picking Caelum up out of his crib, and hiding him under the edge of her bed, soothing him so that he never fully awoke. By the time the door opened, she was in the middle of the room, the vial Professor Snape had given her in one hand, and Draco's dagger in the other.

It was Draco that came through the door. She knew instantly something was wrong. He was closed in on himself. She laid the knife and the vial on the desk and rushed to him.

"Draco? Sweetheart? What's wrong?" she tipped his head up, forcing him to look at her.

"It was a trap." he whispered, his arms wrapping around her and pulling her close.

Her hands smoothed over his back and hair. "Are you hurt?" she asked.

"No." he replied, somewhat dazed. "Not me. My father is hurt. Uncle Rab is hurt. Rookwood and MacNair are hurt. Rookwood is bad. Judson is dead. Woodley is dead. Mulciber and Henry Nott have been captured. Someone else. I'm not even sure who it was."

She led him into the bathroom, where she dampened a cloth and wiped his face and hands as she would with Caelum. She slid his outer cloak off, throwing it onto the bathroom floor, not wanting to know whose blood stained it tonight.

She brought him out and sat beside him on the bed, leaning his head against her shoulder.

"The Dark Lord told us this morning that Kingsley Shacklebolt had violated the taboo on his name. The snatchers had tracked his location, so the Dark Lord wanted to attack them tonight, to strike against the Order. It was a setup. They were waiting for us."

She pressed her lips against his forehead. "You made it home. You're safe."

"I almost didn't." he said softly.

They sat there for a long time, until he finally composed himself enough to take his shower. She retrieved the baby from under the edge of the bed, putting him back in his crib.

She waited for Draco with a Dreamless Sleep potion, but he refused to take it. "Just stay with me." he whispered.

She climbed into bed beside him. Draco spent most of the night awake, watching Luna sleep and thinking.

* * *

><p>He arose early the next morning and headed to his parents' suite.<p>

His mother offered him a cup of tea in the sitting room.

"Lucius is doing well. Severus came last night to patch everyone up. He left potions for your father, said he should be up and about later today. " she sipped her tea solemnly.

Draco nodded.

She flicked her wand, adding to the permanent protective charms.

"Now, what is it?" she asked.

He sighed. "I almost didn't make it back last night. Arthur Weasley had me cornered. He hesitated for just a second, and it was long enough for me to get Uncle Rab and apparate out." he looked at his hands and back at his mother. "It's given me a lot to think about. Mostly what would happen to Caelum and Luna if I didn't come home."

She nodded, waiting for him to continue.

"So first thing this morning, I'm going to the solicitor's office. I'm going to have them draw up the paperwork so that if anything happens to me, Luna will have custody of Caelum, and to draw up my will so that he will be taken care of. Then I'm going to Gringotts to transfer some funds to an untraceable account in Switzerland." he paused and looked at her. "I'm going to get us out."

"How?" she breathed.

"I'm working on the details. The Dark Lord is planning another siege on Hogwarts. He's going to kill kids." Narcissa gasped, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. Draco looked away, clenching his fists. "He's tentatively planning on the tenth of May. I won't be here for that. I'm tired of not being able to leave my room without Bella being all over me. I'm tired of worrying myself sick over what could happen to Caelum and Luna when I'm not with them. I'm tired of being in the middle of a war I can't afford to lose, and can't afford to win."

She looked up at him with both hope and tears in her eyes.

"The Dark Lord has the idea that Luna may be pregnant." he continued. "So I'll line everything up, and then a few days before his plan for Hogwarts, we'll fake cramps, possible miscarriage, something like that. I'll take her to St Mungo's. You'll bring Caelum, and we'll run from there."

Narcissa smiled at him sadly. "Draco. I love you. I want you to take Luna and Caelum and run. Get yourselves to safety. But I'm not going with you."

He jumped to his feet. "Mother! You can't stay here!"

"Darling," she reached for his hand. "Your father will never leave."

"You don't need him!" Draco cried. "Come with us! We'll start over, somewhere far from here. Somewhere they've never heard of Death Eaters."

She tugged him back down to sit. "It's not that I need your father. It's that he needs me. I know you don't believe it, but he does love you. If you and I were both gone, your father would have nothing left. No reason to make him think about what it is that he's doing."

"If he thought about what he was doing, he wouldn't have sold me to the Dark Lord! He wouldn't have opened our home to be the headquarters of the Death Eaters!" he roared.

"He did these things because he thought he was acting in your best interest." his mother insisted.

"Yeah, well having Bellatrix Lestrange in this house hasn't exactly been in my best interest, has it?" his hands began to tremble.

"Draco." the tears finally spilled over, leaving streaks in her face powder.

"Leave with us, Mother." he begged softly.

"When I was seven, Bella went to Hogwarts. I missed her so much, I used to go into her room just to see her things, to pretend she was just downstairs or something." she looked at her son, silent tears continuing to fall. "She had a doll that Aunt Melania had given her for Christmas one year. It was a beautiful doll. It looked so much like Bella. I don't think she had ever played with it. It had been up on her shelf for as long as I could remember. My mother gave it to me, so I could feel closer to Bella since she was gone. When Bella came home at Christmas and I met her at the train station with the doll, she was furious. She grabbed the doll out of my hands and destroyed it. She didn't really want it, but it was hers and she didn't want me to have it." she looked at her son sadly. "You're her doll now. She doesn't want Luna to have you. You've got to get away from her."

"Please come with us." he asked one more time.

She sighed. "I'll think about it." .


	36. Chapter 34

Draco returned from Diagon Alley with an armload of flowers, creme brulee, and a set of blocks for Caelum.

"They're beautiful, Draco." Luna smiled. "Thank you."

"Greg Goyle never sent you creme brulee." he pointed out.

"No, just sugar quills." she said, admiring the flowers.

"What? When?" Draco roared.

"Which question do you want answered?" Luna asked sweetly.

"Did Goyle send you sugar quills?" he demanded.

"Yes, they came just after you left this morning." she waved at a box on the desk.

He snatched up the box, and then threw it back down immediately.

"Did you eat any of those?" he eyed the box suspiciously.

"No," Luna creased her brow. "I just had a bad feeling about it. I didn't even open the package."

"Good." Draco waved his wand over the box and murmured an enchantment.

"What is it?" Luna stepped to his elbow, watching in fascination.

"They've been tampered with." Draco studied the box, poking it with his wand. "I'd like Uncle Sev to take a look at it, but some kind of potion has been added to the candy." He levitated the box onto a high shelf.

"So we'll just have to eat the creme brulee." Luna smiled.

* * *

><p>Draco was home from the raid early that night.<p>

"Who's hurt this time?" Luna asked as soon as she saw his slumped shoulders.

"Half the ones who weren't hurt last night." he flung himself into the chair. She knelt next to him. "At least no one is dead tonight, and I don't think anyone was captured. We caught on a lot faster that we had been set up again."

"How?" she asked.

"Tonight's raid had been planned for several days." he spat. "Mulciber and Nott both knew about it. Apparently the aurors got the information out of one of them, so they were waiting for us." he sighed. "Or we have a traitor."

"Draco," she kissed his hand. "It's always been dangerous, but the last two days..."

He nodded. "We've canceled all plans that Mulciber and Nott knew about."

She moved to between his knees, leaning up to place her head against his chest. "I wish you didn't have to be involved in this."

"I'm going to get us out." he whispered to her hair.

"Really?" she drew back and looked at him.

"Yeah." he nodded. "I'm still working out how and when and where. It's going to be a few weeks. But I'm going to get us out."

She laid her head back against his chest. "I'm so glad, Draco."

* * *

><p>Luna didn't leave the nursery for the next two days, and Draco left as little as possible, but the tense mood of the rest of the house somehow invaded their sanctuary. Even Caelum seemed nervous and on edge. The adults spoke very little, and Draco spent a lot of time staring out the window.<p>

He was summoned to the Dark Lord on the third afternoon. He came back shaking, angry, and frightened at the same time.

Luna didn't say a word, just pulled him into her arms, thankful Caelum was asleep.

"Evernham's dead." he finally muttered. "He questioned what we were doing and the Dark Lord called us together and killed him, to make a fucking point."

"It will be over soon." she whispered. "We'll be out of here, and they won't be able to hurt us."

"If we live that long." he growled.

"We'll do what it takes to get through until then." she laid her hands on his cheeks. "You'll get us to safety."

"The Dark Lord is calling out the trainees for tonight's mission. Crabbe and Goyle are going with me." he grumbled. "Should I have them come by here first, so you can see your boyfriend?"

"My boyfriend is right here." she looked up at him.

"When there are no other choices, it's not really a choice, is it?" he snarled.

He stomped into his room. Luna followed a moment later, pressing a tiny object into his hands.

"What is this?" he turned over what appeared to be a tiny book.

"When I was taken off the train, I had that in my pocket. When I was searched in the cellar, MacNair asked what it was and I said some things I had done at school. Bellatrix said the Dark Lord wasn't interested in sixth year charms homework, so they left it with me. I never had a wand to unshrink it." she shoved it back into his hands when he tried to return it to her. "I want you to unshrink it and look at it. Then you'll understand my choice was made long before I was brought here."

She walked back into the nursery, closing the door behind her.

He unshrunk the book, which turned out to be a journal of some sort. He opened the cover and found his own eyes staring back at him.

It was a drawing of him at Hogwarts' welcome feast, seated between Crabbe and Goyle. His face was still rounded with baby fat, and his hair plastered to his head.

On the next page he stood with the Quidditch team, all proudly leaning on their new brooms. He turned another page and found himself in his third year, when he had started to rebel against his father, no longer slicking his hair back like a miniature Lucius, with his arm bandaged after the hippogriff incident. The following picture showed him at the Yule Ball, in his formal robes, further rebelling against his father by having hair that hung in his eyes. The next page, was not Draco, causing him to pull back and frown at the likeness of Harry Potter, his brow furrowed in concentration. The following picture was the Weaselette, a wispy horse emerging from the tip of her wand. Draco returned on the next page, standing outside the Room of Requirement with a frightening look on his face as the Dumbledore's Army members were apprehended. Longbottom came next, with a goofy look on his face, then another of Draco, getting off the train, his shoulders slumped, going to a house without his father for the first time in his life. Then there was a picture of the Weasel twins, and then one of a man with long hair and odd clothes, who slightly resembled Draco's father. He flipped past a couple drawings without really looking at him, until he came to another drawing of himself. Obviously his sixth year, his last year at Hogwarts. He was dressed all in black. His face was gaunt, with dark circles under his eyes. The change from the first picture was so dramatic Draco had to flip between them and compare. There were several more pictures of other students, and one of Dumbledore. Looking at Luna's drawing, Draco realized for the first time that the man looked sick in the last months of his life. Draco again bypassed the pictures of other people, finding another of himself. This time, he actually looked sick and distressed. He thumbed through more pictures of other people, until he came to what he knew would be the last one of him. The last time Luna had seen him before the night she came to the nursery.

The night Dumbledore died.

It had to be, because Draco had burned those clothes afterward. He was shocked at the despair, the desperation, the heart sickness, he saw on his own face. He thought he had hidden his inner turmoil better.

Crabbe and Goyle hadn't said anything to him about it. But then again, maybe they just knew better.

Draco closed the book, and opened the nursery door. Luna looked up, and then with a glance at Caelum, still asleep, she came to the bedroom and closed the door.

"You drew all these pictures of me." he frowned at the book at his hand, then looked back up at her.

"I had a crush on you from the first time I saw you, the night I was sorted." she answered softly.

"A crush is not the same thing as love, Luna." he said sadly.

"No, it's not." she shook her head. "That's the whole point. You're not the same boy I had a crush on, either. The Draco Malfoy I had a crush on was cruel, and harsh, and arrogant, would have rather died than be looked down upon by his friends, and wouldn't have had anything in his life that wasn't the very best and perfect. The Draco Malfoy I found in this house has grown up. He has compassion for others. He knows his friends are wrong. He's willing to throw away everything he's ever known in his life for a little boy who's not perfect and a girl everyone thinks is mad."

He tossed the book onto his dresser. "Luna." he sighed. "I'm not a hero. I'm anything but a hero."

She took his hands, and stood on her tiptoes to press a brief kiss to his lips. "You don't have to be a hero." she whispered. "That's Harry Potter's job. Caelum and I just need you to be our Draco."

He kissed her, arms slipping around her back. "I need you." he murmured against her mouth. His mouth closed over hers again, and he began walking them backwards, toward the bed.

There was a soft pop, and they broke apart to find a tiny elf watching them, wringing her hands.

"There is thirteen for dinner, so Mistress Cissy want Missy Luna to attend for dinner." Rinka lifted one shoulder as if expecting to be hit.

The elf popped back out, leaving Draco looking at Luna. He quickly checked the time, but before he could reach for her again, Caelum called out from the nursery.

"Muh-mee? Duhduh?"

Luna smiled. "He's getting closer to Daddy."

* * *

><p>She obediently dressed in the dress Narcissa had given her before and called for Rinka to stay with Caelum. She knocked on Draco's door.<p>

"You look beautiful," he smiled, raising her hand to his lips before they both kissed Caelum, and he took her arm to lead her downstairs.

Within moments, Luna was wishing she could go back upstairs. She sneaked a glance at Draco, who looked as uncomfortable as she did.

Bellatrix had been in a foul mood all day, and the fact she had been drinking for at least a couple hours before dinner had not helped the situation. On top of that, everyone was seated and ready except Rodolphus and Rabastan. After ten minutes of waiting, one of the house elves was dispatched to find them. They staggered into the dining room a few minutes later, both reeking of firewhiskey.

They muttered their apologies and took their seats so that the house elves could begin serving dinner. The salads were barely on the table when Bellatrix turned to her husband.

"So where were you?" she asked in the world's loudest whisper. "Off buggering one another?"

"You'd be the expert on keeping it in the family, Bella," Rabastan answered with mock sweetness.

Half the people at the table stopped eating and turned to look at the threesome.

"Oh yes, dear wife, I could take a page from your book and fuck _children_!" Rodolphus hissed.

"Perhaps the two of you should have this discussion..." Lucius tried to interrupt before Bellatrix rose to her feet.

"He may have been underage, but he could fuck like a man!" she shrieked. "Unlike some people at this table!"

Even Luna had put down her fork by this point.

"Why should I put any effort into it, with a frigid bitch like you for a wife?" Rod was now on his feet, shouting in her face.

"Who wouldn't be frigid if they had to fuck you?" Bellatrix shoved him. "Too bad I had to wait almost 30 years to get fucked properly and then it was by my nephew! I'm sure even with the silencing charms you could hear me screaming his name!"

"I don't care!" he shoved her back. "It's not like I've fucked you in the past twenty years! You can fuck house elves if you want! Just as long as you don't pop out any more of their little bastards!"

Draco jumped up, knocking his chair over backwards, looking at Luna in horror for a moment before fleeing from the room. Luna nodded at Narcissa across the empty chair and went after him. She made it to the door by the time Lucius stunned Bellatrix and Rod and Narcissa obliviated the rest of the group.


	37. Chapter 35

She found him in the nursery, standing over the crib, watching his son sleep. Rinka had apparently been dismissed.

He didn't look up when she approached.

"I've known almost since I've been here." she laid her hand over his on the crib rail. "You talk in your sleep. Especially when you're having nightmares."

"I never wanted anyone to know," he looked down at the sleeping baby. "I didn't want anyone to judge him. And I didn't want you to be disgusted by me."

"You didn't do anything wrong." she said firmly. "Your aunt is sick."

He snorted, looking across the room at nothing. "I'm just as sick as she is."

She slid her hand up his arm toward his shoulder. "No, you're not."

He pulled away from her hand. "I enjoyed what she did."

"I find that hard to believe, the way you were screaming at her to leave you alone." she looked up at him sideways.

"I know you're a virgin," he rolled his eyes. "but surely you understand how the biological part of it works. If she didn't make me come when we had sex, she wouldn't get pregnant."

She walked over to his desk, opened the drawer, and took out the dagger he had given her. Crossing the room back to him, she pushed up the sleeve on his right arm and laid the blade against his skin. "What would happen," she asked. "If I stuck this knife into your arm?"

"It would probably hurt," he answered. "and it would bleed."

"Yes," she nodded. "That doesn't mean you liked it, or that you want me to do it again. That just means it's the way your body naturally responds to a certain action." She turned the knife so the point was against his skin. "I could stick the knife in deep enough to cut the tendon. All you would see on the surface would be a cut, but your hand wouldn't work properly. That means that sometimes the injuries you don't see are worse than the injuries you do."

She put his hand back on the crib rail, and went back to put the knife in the desk. She walked back to stand beside him, not saying a word.

He pulled her against him fiercely, wrapping both arms around her, burying his face in her hair. She slid her arms around his middle and held him, neither speaking for what felt like hours.

"Thank you," he whispered before letting go.

"I wish you didn't have to go tonight." she whispered. following him to his bedroom door.

"We both know I do. My trainees will be there." he shook his head.

"I'll be waiting when you get back." she kissed him, and left him to get ready.

* * *

><p><em>He was tied to the bed, and Bella was straddling him, but before she got down to business, apparently she wanted to talk. <em>

_"The Dark Lord knows about us." _

_His eyes went wide and he didn't realize he was holding his breath until she slapped his face and told him to breathe._

_"Silly boy, he doesn't care. He thinks I can teach you so much. He thinks our time alone will be good for you." she taunted. _

_Which proved even further just how much of a sick motherfucker the Dark Lord really was. _

_"He's given you to me. I'm to train you." she laughed. "Of course, he didn't specify what I was to train you. I think you need to work on mental control. And withstanding torture."_

_ She shifted, taking him inside her, and then transfigured herself into Mrs. Goyle. _

_He was tied to the bed with no hope of escape, but that didn't stop him from trying to pull away from her. _

_She laughed. "What, you don't think Marta deserves a little good loving? Or are you just too much of a snob to fuck anything you don't find aesthetically pleasing?"_

_ In a heartbeat, Hermione Granger was the one riding him. "Is this better? Can you force yourself to fuck a mudblood, Draco?" _

_His mind was spinning. He knew it wasn't real, but it looked and felt so real. _

_"Maybe your tastes run to a more refined, pureblood type woman. You are a Black, after all, and they do have a penchant for this sort of thing." _

_She changed again. Into a perfect copy of his mother. _

_Not quite perfect. Draco had never seen that madness in his mother's eyes. _

_But other than that, Draco was being fucked by his mother. He clenched his eyes shut and turned his head. _

_"Yes, Draco. Retreat into your mind. Do what you have to do. Tell yourself the lies you need to hear to get through it."_

_She continued on for a moment in silence, and he could feel the tension building which would lead to his release. Normally he loathed the thought of having an orgasm with Bella, but tonight, he wished for it to hurry, so she would leave. _

_"When I've taught you to master this, we can move on to withstanding physical torture. I think I may need help for that one. The Dark Lord never said I had to train you alone." she leaned up to whisper in his ear. "I could bring Dolohov in here. He'll fuck anything. We'll see how that teaches you to control your body's reactions." she licked his ear. "Or maybe Greyback. That would be a sight to behold. I wonder if he fucks like a wolf, too?"_

_ Draco was so terrified, he lost his erection. Bella was furious. She struck him with three quick blasts of the cruciatius curse, leaving him screaming and begging, then took him into her mouth. As soon as he was hard again, she was back on top of him. _

_But at least she was Bella again and not his mother. _

_"If I could get loose, I'd kill you." he whispered. _

_"No you wouldn't." she taunted. "You'd transfigure me into who you want and fuck me senseless." _

_He closed his eyes, afraid of what she would turn into this time. _

_"Draco." it was Luna's voice. _

_"Draco, open your eyes for me." _

_He wouldn't. Because he knew it was Bella and it was a trick._

* * *

><p>Luna awoke to screaming.<p>

This time it was coming from Draco's bedroom.

She had fallen asleep in the chair again, and she wondered why Draco hadn't wakened her.

She opened the door to his room and immediately realized two things.

First, he had been hurt. Gauze wrapped around his lower chest, covering a bulky bandage on his right side.

Secondly, that this was one of his worse ones. He had flung the blankets completely off the bed, to leave him thrashing in his pajama bottoms. It vaguely registered with Luna how he rummaged for the pants the first night she had been there, and she fleetingly wondered what he had slept in before.

"Draco," she said softly, approaching the bed. "Draco!" she repeated a little louder, hesitating to touch him.

He still thrashed in the bed. She sat on the side of the bed and shook his shoulder gently.

"Draco, open your eyes for me."

Before she could blink, a hand shot out and grabbed her arm. She was pulled across his body and thrown onto the bed on the other side of him. In a flash, he was straddling her, his hand around her throat.

"I told you I would kill you, Bella." he growled

She couldn't scream. She focused on all the wandless magic Neville had taught her and gasped out "Polaris!"

A blast of cold air hit him in the face, waking him instantly. He blinked several times, his eyes going wide as he took in his and Luna's positions.

"Luna!" he released his grip on her and backed away. "Shit! Fuck! Shit. I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"

He sat back on his heels at the end of the bed, his whole body trembling. She sat up, reaching for him slowly, understanding that he had regressed tonight.

"It's okay," she said softly.

He looked down at her hand on his arm, but didn't pull away.

He looked back up at her, shaking his head. "It's not okay, Luna. I could have killed you!"

"But you didn't hurt me." she moved just the tiniest bit closer to him. "And whatever you would have done, it wouldn't have been me you did it to, but Bella, because she was hurting you in the dream." He hadn't moved away, so she scooted just a little closer. "I won't hurt you. You should know that by now."

She inched closer until their knees were almost touching. She reached out and laid her hand against his face. "I won't let anything or anyone else hurt you again if there's any way I can stop it."

His muscles palpably relaxed under her touch. She took the chance and slid her arms around the back of his shoulders. He stiffened again for a split second, before once again releasing the rigidity, and then leaning forward to put his face against her neck. She brought one hand up to cradle the back of his head, and used the other to gently stroke his back. He didn't make a sound, and she pretended she didn't feel the tears soaking into the shoulder of her nightgown.

They sat there on the end of his bed on their knees for a long while until Luna finally had to speak up. "Draco, I'm getting a cramp in my leg."

"I'm sorry," he pulled away, averting his face.

"No, I want to stay with you if you want me here. I just had to move my leg."

He nodded, but still didn't look at her. "Lay down beside me." he whispered.

He laid on his side, with his back toward her.

She lay on her back, a respectable distance from him. He looked over his shoulder, then reached back and tugged her closer to him.

"I meant, like right beside me. I just ... I might want to talk some more, and I'm not sure if I can do that facing you." he pleaded.

She curled up against his back, placing her arm across his waist. "Better?" she asked.

"Yeah." he reached down and held her hand, linking their fingers. "It started the night I was initiated into the Death Eaters. She came to my room that night and used the imperius on me. She came into my room every night after that. She used the imperius on me, or the cruciatus, or incarcerous. I kept telling her I didn't want this, it was sick and it was wrong and to just leave me alone. She would just laugh at me. After a few weeks, I knew she wasn't going to stop, so I quit fighting her. I just did ... what she wanted me to." He shuddered slightly and she squeezed him the best she could in their position, with him holding onto her hand for dear life.

"No one would blame you for that, Draco. She was hurting you physically. All you were trying to do was make it hurt less. It's just a matter of self preservation." she whispered, shifting to move the arm she was laying on upwards and slide it under his neck so that both her arms were around him. "It didn't mean you wanted her to do those things."

"I had no idea she was trying to get pregnant." he shuddered again, and her arms tightened around him. "I just ... I thought she was doing it because of things the Dark Lord said, that I was going to take her place as his most trusted advisor, that I was the first and best of the third generation of followers." he sighed. "I never wanted any of that. She did. I thought the reason she was doing this with me was to cement herself in more securely with the Dark Lord. If I had known... I should have done something. I shouldn't have let her get pregnant. I should have done something anyway. I just blindly believed that she, you know, that she had it taken care of."

Luna snuggled as close as she could get to his back, and pressed the hand that was draped awkwardly across his shoulder against his heart. "She's a very talented occlumens. You had no way of knowing her reasoning unless she had told you." She pressed a kiss against his bare shoulder, and for once, he didn't tense. "Things have a way of turning out for the best. What you've done for your son and having him in the future will help you heal from what happened. If you didn't have Caelum, I wouldn't be here with you. I'd probably be in the cellar, being mistreated." she kissed his shoulder again. "What happened to you was terribly painful, but that doesn't mean that something good can't come from all of it."

She placed her cheek against his spine and just held him.

After several minutes, he finally spoke again. "Luna, don't leave me when I fall asleep. I mean, if Caelum wakes up and one of us has to get him, fine. But if not, please just stay here with me."

She tightened her arms around him again. "I won't leave unless you tell me to."

"You know," he continued. "I didn't want the relationship with Bellatrix. I didn't want to have a baby with her. But she's Caelum's mother and she should love him, but she doesn't."

Luna sighed. "I could say the years in Azkaban probably made her this way, but I don't know because I didn't know her before. You can't change who or what she is. All you can do is act on who and what you are. You love Caelum, and you've done everything you can to make up for his mother."

"I wish you were really his mother." Draco whispered, squeezing her hand.

"I do too." Luna squeezed back.

Nothing else was said that night, and they fell asleep together. Draco didn't have any more nightmares that night.

* * *

><p>AN - A quick update for Opague, who we can't have seeing patients sleep deprived. Because that just gives me more to fix when I get them in home care. ;)


	38. Chapter 36

"Duhduh?" Caelum frowned and pointed at Draco's bandage when he came through the door.

He walked over to the highchair to ruffle the child's hair. "It's okay, Caelum. Daddy's okay."

"I take it that's why you didn't wake me last night." Luna nodded at his chest.

He looked at the floor. "I didn't want to upset you. It's not bad. I mostly dodged the curse."

"Were you set up again?" she asked softly.

"No." he sighed. "It was actually Crabbe. He claimed he was going for the guy behind me and I got in the way."

She nodded. "You've got to be careful."

"I'm sorry about last night." He said to the floor.

She crossed over to tip his chin up. "Draco, I told you, it's fine. I'm not hurt, it's over, let it go."

He wrapped his arms around her. "Thank you for not leaving me. " He whispered into her hair.

"I'm not going anywhere." She looked up at him. "Stop thinking about things."

"It's … no … I … I need to ask my mother something." He shook his head, trying to form his thoughts.

"Go ahead." She kissed his cheek.

He stomped into his mother's sitting room without knocking, slamming and silencing the door behind him.

"Draco?" she asked, frowning.

"Who abused Bella?" he snapped.

"What are you talking about?" she shook her head but he didn't like the look that crossed her face.

"You heard me. " He put his hands on his hips.

She looked up at him innocently.

"I had one of my flashbacks last night, of something she did to me. " He continued. "I didn't grasp what she said at the time, because I was a bit distracted by the fact I was tied to a bed, having sex with someone who had transfigured herself to look like my _mother_." Narcissa blanched. "But she said the Blacks had a penchant for this kind of thing. Something she said about telling yourself the lies you need to get through this. She basically told me that someone had abused her the way she abused me. I want to know who it was."

If possible, she paled further.

He took a threatening step closer. "Tell me!"

"She … it wasn't … it couldn't have been …" she stammered.

"Tell me!" he roared.

"Just before Bella's fifth year at Hogwarts … she … well … she was pregnant. She told Andie and me that … Father … had been coming to her room at night for years. That _our_ father was the father of her baby. But it was ridiculous. He was never improper in any way with Andie or me. My parents insisted that it was a malicious story Bella made up to protect whatever boy she had been diddling with at Hogwarts. That she was angry because my parents forced her to break things off with her sweetheart and because they arranged to have the pregnancy terminated. Mother punished her severely. Bella and Father barely spoke the rest of his life." She looked at Draco, tears in her eyes. "Surely it wasn't true."

"Tell me, how did she get pregnant by her Hogwarts boyfriend during the summer holidays?" Draco snorted. "Maybe someone should have listened to her a long time ago."

He turned and stomped out of the room, slamming the door again.

"Draco, wait." the door opened behind him.

"I don't have anything else to say, Mother." he snapped.

"Please." she said softly. "Please come back in a moment."

He huffed loudly but obediently came back into his mother's sitting room.

She opened a hidden compartment on the side table and withdrew a leather pouch, handing it to him.

"What is this?" he asked, loosening the drawstring.

"No!" she laid her hand over his. "It's a portkey. I've had it for many years. When the Dark Lord was in power the first time, I set up an escape plan, in case I ever had to take you and flee. It's untraceable, but even if someone did track you, there are very secure wards on the destination."

He looked at her questioningly.

"The wards will recognize the Black blood in you and Caelum. Luna will only be able to go through if she's with one of you." she explained. "If the situation becomes where you have to run before you are able to finalize your plans, you'll be safe there."

He looked at the pouch in his hand. "Why didn't you ever go? Why didn't you take me and get out of here long ago?"

She shook her head. "I really wish I had."

* * *

><p>"Kingsley," Arthur Weasley addressed the man across the table as they sipped tea and discussed strategy. "Remus. I wasn't sure if I should mention it, but something happened during the sting on the Death Eaters last week that I keep thinking about."<p>

"What is it, Arthur?" Shacklebolt asked.

"I noticed something rather odd. Draco Malfoy never cast anything but defensive spells." Arthur stared into the middle distance, replaying the scene in his mind. "When Rabastan Lestrange fell, young Malfoy went to his side. I cornered him to see what he would do. He had the opportunity to attack me, but he didn't. He just grabbed his wounded man and apparated out."

"So what are you saying?" Shacklebolt folded his arms, looking thoughtful.

"You think he's forced to be there? That he doesn't want to be a Death Eater?" Lupin asked.

"I think if the situation arises where we can do so, we should offer young Malfoy asylum and see if he takes it." Weasley shrugged.

The three men nodded their agreement.

* * *

><p>Draco spent the rest of the day in the nursery with Luna and Caelum, specifically not talking about what had happened the night before.<p>

The exercises had apparently helped Caelum's legs tremendously. He was actually able to stand for a few minutes at a time. He had to be lifted to his feet, as he couldn't pull himself up, and he needed Draco or Luna to hold his hands for balance, but his legs actually held his weight.

Draco and Luna were excitedly praising him, and Caelum kept holding his hands out to be lifted up again.

There was a knock at the nursery door. Two raps, a pause, two more, another pause, and then three.

Draco was on his feet, wand out, in a fraction of a heartbeat.

"What the fuck do you want?" he snarled.

"I came to spend some time with my son." Bellatrix answered sweetly.

"When hell freezes over." he slammed the door in her face.

There was a loud crash outside the door, which was apparently Bellatrix trying to open the door and being repelled by the wards. A minute later, there was a repeat of the same crash, just a little further away.

She had tried to go through Draco's bedroom door.

She returned a moment later to pound on the wall outside the nursery door.

"You worthless little shit! I have every right to be in there! Let me in!" she shrieked.

Caelum began to tremble. Luna lifted him into her lap and he buried his head in her neck.

"Shhhh. Mummy has you." she murmured.

"Draco!" Bellatrix continued to shout. "DRACO MALFOY! Open this fucking door right this fucking minute!"

"Go AWAY!" he shouted at the door.

Luna continued to soothe Caelum.

Draco tiptoed into the bedroom to open the other door into the hall.

"Petrificus totalus"

The shouting and banging stopped instantly, followed by a thud as Bellatrix hit the floor, and then silence.

At least for a moment, and then there was the sound of several other sets of footsteps, and the voices to go with those footsteps.

Draco was back in the nursery by this time, and opened the hall door.

"The show is over. You can go home now." he snapped.

He started to slam the door on his father and Uncle Rod, but one word stopped him.

"Draco."

His shoulders slumped, although only Luna could see. He stood obediently, waiting until Voldemort was framed in the doorway.

"My lord."

"What, may I ask, was going on up here?" Voldemort looked from Bella's petrified form to Draco's scowl.

"Bella came and demanded to see_ my_ son." Draco shot a hateful glare at the figure on the floor.

He looked so much like Lucius that Luna almost giggled.

"Draco, he is her son as well." Voldemort's oily voice answered.

"Not at this point." Draco insisted.

"We shall discuss the matter after dinner." Voldemort announced, walking away, leaving the crowd to look at one another.


	39. Chapter 37

A/N - Sorry, the last chapter might have made more sense if I had posted this at the same time. I had intended to post it on my lunch break but it was one of those days where everything I touched blew up.

No, the Dark Lord has not gone soft, and Bellatrix is not going to become a good guy or even a sympathetic character now.

And bitchpudding, we're getting close. ;)

* * *

><p>Draco stubbornly refused to have dinner downstairs, remaining in the nursery with Luna and Caelum.<p>

They didn't speak of what would happen after dinner. Mimsy had informed them they were to meet at Bella's quarters.

Draco led Luna to the far side of the Manor, not sure if she was actually invited, but presuming that she should be, as the person Caelum thought was his mother.

The Dark Lord and Bellatrix were the only others present. Bella sat on the bed, with Voldemort in one of two chairs that had been brought in for the occasion. Luna took the other added chair, between Bellatrix and the remaining empty chair. The one that had always been in Bella's room.

That chair.

"Have a seat, Draco." Bella's voice was sweet, but her eyes were mad and her lips were thinned with anger.

_"Have a seat, Draco."_

_He sat, wondering what was going on. Mimsy had come to fetch him. He had at first refused to go to Bella. If she wanted to do to him the same thing she had been doing every night for the past three weeks, she would have to hunt him down and make him._

_The elf said she was upset. That Bella said she wanted to talk to him._

_And part of him wanted to believe that she was sorry, that she was going to tell him that she wouldn't do it again. So he went, and now he found her, not sad and remorseful, but livid, at the edge of full on rage._

_He sat in the chair, but before he could ask what was going on, he found himself tied to the chair._

_Bella loomed over him, eyes flashing. "I should have known better than to expect a boy to do a man's job." she snarled. "You pathetic little Malfoy shit, you can't do anything right, can you?"_

_He shook his head, unable to think of anything he had done that would have enraged Bella like this. "Why are you angry at me? What did I do?"_

_"Nothing, and that's the fucking problem!" she shouted into his face. "Crucio!"_

_He writhed in the chair, the bindings holding him, refusing to allow even a better position to alleviate the torture._

_She traced her wand down the side of his face. "You're a Black. Or have the pathetic Malfoy genes diluted your magic?"_

_"What is going on, Bella?" he cried in fear and confusion. "Why are you so angry? What is it I didn't do?"_

_"Arachne ambulata!" she said instead of answering his questions._

_Draco shouted and fought the bonds as he felt thousands of tiny spiders crawling all over him. The bonds held, and he couldn't even move enough to brush an arm or leg against something to change the sensation._

_"You just aren't man enough." she taunted. "You'll just have to try harder." she flicked her wand, and the spell ended. Or maybe you just aren't a man at all." she flicked the wand again, and he was naked. "Maybe you don't want to be a man."_

_She waved her wand once more, shifting his position in the chair. "Maybe you need to be taught a lesson."_

_She was standing over him, still fully dressed, her wand in her hand. Something told him this would be worse than anything she had done to him before._

_His eyes widened. "No! Bella, I'm sorry! I don't even know why you're angry!"_

_Suddenly he could move, so he flung himself toward the door, drawing his wand, ready to defend himself. Bella took a step toward him._

_"Sectum sempra!" he shouted, but she blocked it. He flung another spell, non-verbal this time, to give her less opportunity to deflect. _

_She flew backwards against the wardrobe.  
><em>

_"Expelliarmus! Incarcerous!" a voice thundered. A voice that didn't belong there. The Dark Lord's voice._

_Draco found himself bound and pinned to the wall. He flung off the conjured ropes and stunned Bella and she was getting up. He was hit with another spell, flinging him against the wall again. He struggled to get to his wand._

_"No!" came another voice that didn't belong. "Leave him alone. Let me handle it."_

_"Draco." Luna spoke softly. "Draco, come back to me."_

He opened his eyes to find Luna in front of him, concerned, and the Dark Lord hovering over her shoulder looking at Draco with a combination of fascination and disdain.

"Let him go." Luna instructed softly, and to his surprise, Voldemort did as she asked.

The excess adrenaline hit his system, and he began to shake. "I've got to get out of here."

She followed him out of the room, with a glance over her shoulder at the Dark Lord, who now looked more curious than anything else.

They ended up in the blue sitting room. Draco sank onto the loveseat. Luna sat down beside him, wrapping her arms around him.

"She did something to you in that chair." Luna said knowingly.

"Please don't make me talk about it." he whispered.

"You don't have to." she soothed, pulling his head against her shoulder.

They sat in silence, as his tremors abated and his heart rate returned to normal.

"Miss Lovegood." came a voice from the hallway.

Luna looked at Draco, and he nodded.

She slipped into the hall.

"Is Draco ready to continue?" Voldemort asked, eyes narrowed.

"Yes, but I think it might be best to move the meeting here." Luna gestured over her shoulder toward the room.

"Five minutes." the Dark Lord turned away.

In five minutes, Voldemort returned with Bellatrix. Luna sat beside Draco, holding his hand, while Bella sat across from them. The Dark Lord stood over them.

"This fighting between the two of you will not continue. I will not have my top generals at one another's throats and hexing each other in the corridors. Both of you are distracted from the tasks at hand. The lower ranking Death Eaters will see no need to conduct themselves appropriately if you two do not. You will find a way to settle matters between yourselves, or I will settle them."

"Yes, my lord." Draco and Bella both repeated like scolded children.

"Bella, why do you wish to spend time with a child you do not acknowledge and have never shown any interest in before?" Voldemort looked down on her.

"My lord, the child must be trained properly. Draco and Luna are coddling him. He needs to be tougher." she stuck her chin out defiantly.

"And Draco, your opposition?" the Dark Lord turned to him.

"The only time in his life she's spent any time in the same room with him, he ended up in the hospital." Draco growled.

"He's a bit young for Death Eater training." Luna offered. "He's not walking yet, and he only says about 7 words."

Voldemort nodded. "For the time, he shall remain in Draco and Luna's care."

"Thank you, my lord." Draco murmured.

Bellatrix stood and walked from the room without another word.

The look she gave Draco and Luna indicated that the matter was far from over.


	40. Chapter 38

A/N - Sorry! My laptop crashed and had to go to the computer hospital. Fortunately, I had most of what I had already written of this backed up on an external drive, so it was just a matter of dragging out the dinosaur desktop and setting it up.

Opaque - You're psychic. And Voldemort is scaring me too right now.

* * *

><p>Voldemort turned to Luna and Draco.<p>

"This thing that happened with Draco earlier…" he began. "He was brilliant. He threw off a spell I cast non-verbally and wandlessly. If we could harness that…"

"That's the problem." Luna answered. "He can't control it."

Voldemort looked at Draco. "You will learn to control it. Or you will prevent it. Because a soldier out of control is a liability."

"Yes, my lord." Draco nodded.

"Draco, I am concerned about you lately. You seem to be … too sympathetic. I'm wondering if allowing you a family is causing you to lose your edge." The Dark Lord's eyes shifted to Luna.

"I apologize my lord." Draco dipped his head. "I can assure you, that you will have no reason to question my loyalty or dedication to our cause."

"I certainly hope not." Voldemort looked at Luna again and then back at Draco. "I can organize alternate living arrangements for Miss Lovegood and the boy if it would help you regain your focus."

"That will not be necessary, my lord." Draco promised. "I will not allow my family to interfere in my duties."

The Dark Lord again glanced over at Luna. "Have we confirmed the new addition to the family?"

Draco reached over to take Luna's hand. "Yes, my lord. The child is due in early December."

Luna stiffened and her eyes widened. Draco held his breath.

She turned to Draco. "I thought you didn't want to tell anyone yet."

He squeezed her hand and smiled at her. "Telling the Dark Lord is a bit different. I still don't want to tell my parents just yet." he looked at Voldemort. "I really don't think we should tell Bella yet."

Voldemort nodded. "Very well. It shall be our secret for now. You may go."

Draco stood, offering a hand to help Luna up. He looked up at Voldemort, and for just a second, the Dark Lord jumped into his soldier's mind.

Draco had a fraction of a heartbeat to react. By pure instinct, he immediately blocked anything to do with Luna and Caelum.

It was all the Dark Lord needed to see.

They both knew that in hiding everything, he had revealed way too much.

* * *

><p>They returned to the nursery. Rinka had just finished giving Caelum his bath.<p>

Luna settled into the rocking chair with Caelum and his dragon while Draco stood outside the door, waving his wand and muttering enchantments. He walked down the hall to his bedroom door and repeated them.

He came in and sat in the armchair. "I've changed the wards from exclusion to inclusion." he told her. "Now, instead of being set to keep certain people out, they will only allow certain people in. Specifically, us, my mother, Uncle Sev, and unfortunately, the Dark Lord, since nothing in the house is supposed to be off limits to him."

"Do you really think all that is necessary?" she asked.

"Unfortunately, yes." he snorted.

"When were you going to tell me I'm pregnant?" she tilted her head at him.

They looked at each other, and the absurdity of the situation struck them. They both burst into laughter.

Caelum looked at them with annoyance over the fact they were keeping him awake.

"I'm glad you handled it as well as you did." he said when they finally sobered. "It's part of the escape plan. You'll go to St Mungos for something pregnancy related. Caelum and I will go to see to you there, and none of us will come home. I'm trying to convince my mother to come, but so far she's resistant."

She nodded. "Your father won't leave, so your mother is going to stay with him."

"Yeah." he shoved his hands in his pockets. "She needs to get it through her head that staying here will probably get her killed in the long run."

Luna stood, holding Caelum up so his father could kiss his cheek, and then put the sleeping child in the crib. "Sometimes you love someone enough to take that chance."

She walked over and slipped her arms around his waist. He pulled her close.

"Stay with me tonight." he whispered into her hair.

She leaned up and kissed him.

He pulled back, turning his head. "That's not... I can't tonight."

"I'm sorry." she laid her hand on his face. "What you saw tonight was really bad, wasn't it?"

"It was the worst thing she ever did." he didn't meet her eyes.

Luna stepped closer, so she was almost but not quite touching him. "Take some dreamless sleep, and I will sleep in there with you tonight."

They both changed into pajamas. She climbed into the bed behind him while he sat on the edge, the potion vial in his hand.

"Why don't we get out of here tonight?" she whispered.

He shook his head. "The Dark Lord suspects something. He's going to be watching us too closely for the next several days. We'd never make it out alive."

They snuggled up in the center of the huge bed. Draco fell asleep quickly, his face young and unburdened in relaxation.

Luna watched him for a long time, thinking how all those who had envied him at Hogwarts had been so far off base.

* * *

><p>Mimsy popped into the room a litttle after 4am.<p>

"The Dark Lord is wanting Master Draco to come to the drawing room." she announced.

"Now?" Luna asked, sitting up.

"Yes, now. He said not be to keep him waiting." the elf popped out of the room.

Draco climbed out of bed, still groggy from the sleeping potion. "Have we got any Pepper Up in here?"

Luna nodded. "There are two in the desk drawer."

"Get them for me please." he said over his shoulder as he grabbed clothes and headed for the bathroom.

"Draco? Don't you think it's dangerous to take two at one time?" she frowned.

"Not as dangerous as facing whatever is downstairs half asleep." he shut the door.

* * *

><p>There were no lights on downstairs except a small sconce right outside the drawing room door. The hair on the back of Draco's neck stood up.<p>

He stepped into the room, peering into the darkness.

He was grabbed from behind and held firmly, while someone in front of him punched him right in the gut. He involuntarily doubled over. His assailant hit him right between the shoulder blades.

There were two of them, and they were both bigger than he was. He smelled ... cake.

Crabbe and Goyle.

He was relieved for a second, knowing he could take the two of them down.

Then he realized he didn't know who else was in the darkness.

He started to raise his head, and a fist connected with his chin. He jerked his head back, his eyes beginning to adjust enough that he could make out faint shadows. The fist was coming at him again, and he ducked at the last second. The fist connected with a sternum, and the hold on Draco was relaxed with a shocked "Oomph!"

Goyle had been holding him and Crabbe hitting him.

He took advantage of their momentary disorientation to hook a foot around Goyle's leg and yanked, pulling the taller boy off his feet. Crabbe was shaking his hand. Draco grabbed his arm, pulling him forward and dodging so that the two attackers ended up entangled on the floor.

"Expelliarmus! Incarcerous! Lumos Maxima!" He shouted in quick succession, whirling to survey the situation.

Crabbe and Goyle were bound on the floor. Draco stood over them, holding their wands. Voldemort sat on his armchair throne, hands folded, watching as if this were only a mildly interesting dinner entertainment. Rowle and Dolohov stood off to one side.

And Dolohov was raising his wand.

* * *

><p>Luna lay on her bed, one candle lit, staring unseeing at the book in her hands, wondering what was important enough that Draco had been summoned in the middle of the night.<p>

She heard the sound, and realized why Draco had been called out.

So she and Caelum would be left alone.

There were at least two sets of footsteps coming up the stairs. They walked heavily, not bothering to silence their shoes.

They wanted her to know they were coming.

She quickly retrieved the knife and the potion necklace from the desk, then grabbed up Caelum, returning to her bed with him. She called for Rinka, even though she knew that if a member of the family ordered the elf to stand down, it would happen.

The three of them were huddled on Luna's bed when the first crash came from the hallway. Someone had tried to open the door and had been flung backwards against the far wall.

Caelum began to shriek with fright, and not even Luna and Rinka both shushing him helped.

Luna realized they were trapped in the room, and all they could do was hope the wards held until Draco returned.

"Open the fucking door, Malfoy!" a voice Luna didn't recognize shouted. "The brat's screeching is giving me a headache!"

Someone tried the door again, with the same results.

A different voice rattled off a string of curses. One Luna did recognize.

"The little bastard has warded me out of rooms in my own house!"

"Confringo!" someone shouted.

There was an explosion in the hall, followed by screams of pain. The door held.

Caelum screamed even louder.

* * *

><p>Draco blocked Doholov's first curse just as he heard the sound and his son's cries from upstairs.<p>

Death Eater 101 - divide and conquer.

He silently prayed to any higher powers that might be listening that the wards would hold.

He blocked simultaneous spells from Rowle and Dolohov, while returning a pair of impediment jinxes at the pair.

Rowle was immobilized for the moment, but Dolohov dodged.

Draco was momentarily distracted by an explosion and screaming from upstairs. As a result, he found himself halfway across the room, lying on his back. He lay still for a moment, eyes closed. His body jerked several times, apparently from the effects of the curse.

He waited until he was certain both men would be close enough, and convinced that he was unconcious. He twitched his wand just enough to cast a non-verbal confundus on both of them.

He was on his feet in a flash, binding Rowle and Dolohov as well.

He turned to Voldemort. "Did I pass the test, my lord?"

"Admirably." the Dark Lord nodded once. "You are dismissed, Draco."

He walked over to the double doors, flinging them open with an alohamora and diving to the ground as he skidded though on the sleek marble floor.

For a moment, he thought it was a mistake, as the impact of the place Crabbe had punched his abdomen meeting the floor almost took his breath.

Then Bella's curse went over his head.

He flung an imperius at her still laying on the floor, knowing she would not expect that one, that she wouldn't be prepared to block it.

"Go in the drawing room and close the doors. Keep everyone in there."

She silently walked past him, drawing the double doors closed. He heard her softly murmur "Colloportus."

He silenced his feet and ran up the stairs. He paused almost at the top, moving to one side as he reached the second floor, quickly disillusioning himself.

His father and Yaxley bent over a figure on the floor. The smell of burnt cloth and flesh hung heavily in the air.

Draco non-verbally petrified Yaxley, revealing himself as he stood in front of his father, wand pointed at Lucius' neck.

"How dare you..." the older man began.

"How dare you?" Draco raged. "You are the one who told me that family was more important than anything, and you tried to attack your own flesh and blood?"

Lucius sneered. "One Malfoy bastard could possibly have been ... overlooked ... due to the circumstances. You could still make a good marriage and produce suitable children to continue the line. But two bastard children, and playing house with a blood traitor? I was trying to protect your future, Draco."

"Sectum sempra."

Draco stepped past his father, now spurting blood from his neck, and entered the nursery.

Luna, Caelum, and Rinka were on the bed. Luna looked at him uncertainly, her hand raising in preparation to throw the potion vial if necessary.

"Duhduh!" Caelum shouted.

"It's me, son." Draco rushed to the bed, his whole body displaying his relief.

He, Luna, and Caelum clung to one another. Rinka stood back and watched.

"Rinka, please see to my father." Draco suddenly remembered. "He's bleeding in the hall."

"You're hurt." Luna said softly, reaching up to brush her fingers across his bruised chin, just under his split lip.

"I'll be fine." Draco said, pitching forward onto the bed, allowing the blackness to take him.


	41. Chapter 39

Luna rolled Draco over, pulling his shirt open to check for signs of further injury. She didn't see any. His breathing was even and his pulse was steady.

"Duhduh?" Caelum looked from Draco to her, frowning.

"It's okay, Daddy is sleeping." She settled the child in her lap, no longer afraid, but much too wide awake to be going back to bed any time soon.

Moments later there was shouting and movement in the hall. Rinka had apparently summoned help for Lucius and whoever had been screaming earlier.

"Master tell Mimsy and Rinka not to go to Mistress Cissy!" the elf informed someone.

"I'm telling you go get her now, because your master is bleeding to death!" Rab shouted.

There was a pop as one of the elves disappeared.

"You," Rab's voice continued. "Go get Severus Snape. You, go get lots of blood replenishing potion."

There were two more pops as apparently two more elves apparated out.

"Someone bring towels and ice!" he shouted.

Luna's gaze flickered to Draco again, wondering as she had at least a dozen times now whether his collapse was due to physical or magical exhaustion or something more serious. As if on cue, Draco coughed up blood. Luna turned his head to the side and looked him over again. His belly now had a bluish tint she was certain hadn't been there earlier. She pressed two fingers to his wrist. His pulse was faint and his arm was cold.

There was a muffled cry from the hall that told her Narcissa had arrived.

Luna rushed to the door, throwing it open, and wished she had put Caelum in the crib first.

Lucius Malfoy lay in the floor, pale and deathly still, covered in blood. Another figure, apparently badly burned, lay adjacent to him. Blood was everywhere, on the people gathered in the hall, soaking into the silk carpet, and coating the exquisite French wallpaper. Narcissa and Rab bent over Lucius, both muttering spells.

There was a pop as Mimsy apparated back in with Professor Snape. He bent over to survey the damage.

"Lucius." He drawled. "I won't even ask what you said to make someone slit your throat." He began muttering spell over and over again and pulled the towels away to ensure the bleeding was slowing. He spared a glance over at the man to next to his patient. "Get Avery to St Mungos." He said to no one in particular. "There's little to nothing I can do for him here."

Rod Lestrange lifted the limp figure into his arms. Mimsy clutched his pants leg and apparated them out.

"Mrs. Malfoy." Luna called.

The older woman looked up and Luna gestured with her head. "I need you in here. Draco is badly hurt."

His mother rushed past her, headed toward the bedroom until Luna stopped her. "No, he's on my bed."

Caelum started to cry again, so Luna held him close, tucking his head under her chin.

"He's bleeding internally." Narcissa said, almost to herself. "Severus!"

The older woman ran back to the door, and Luna followed.

"He needs a vial of blood replenishing potion at least four times per hour for the next three hours." The Hogwarts headmaster was instructing Dimpy. "He was moments away from exsanguination."

The elf nodded his understanding.

"And apply dittany to the wounds…" he continued, but Narcissa interrupted.

"Severus, Draco needs you." She pleaded.

He stood and entered the nursery. Rab attempted to follow but was flung backwards.

Snape crossed to the bed in the corner, grumbling the entire time.

"Sound asleep, and awakened by a house elf for yet more histrionics here. I shall have students up and about the school in less than two hours with no headmaster. And while I am highly educated in medicinal potions and remedies, you really should consider recruiting yourselves an actual _healer_…"

He stopped short as he reached the bedside and Draco coughed up blood again.

"What, exactly, happened here this morning?" he asked the room in general.

"Just after 4, one of the elves came in and said the Dark Lord wanted Draco downstairs right away." Luna told him, as Snape was already sitting on the side of the bed, murmuring spells over Draco. "While he was gone, two or three people tried to get into the nursery, but the wards kept them out. Then I heard Draco and his father arguing outside the door way. He came in, said he was fine, and passed out on my bed."

"I woke up to find Lucius gone, the door locked, and an anti-apparation jinx so I couldn't get out of the bedroom." Narcissa added. "I didn't hear anything but I'm sure the room was silenced so I wouldn't."

"So it was you who nearly beheaded your father." Snape murmured to his patient.

"What's happened to him?" Luna stood at Snape's elbow, watching him. She still held Caelum, who had yet to loosen his grip on her.

"Dolohov." Snape spat the word. "His damnable signature curse." He appeared to finish with Draco, flicking a quick evanesceo to vanish the blood from the pillow. Draco's face had been healed and the discoloration on his abdomen was starting to fade.

The dark haired man stood and turned to Luna and Narcissa. "Try to keep him as still as possible for the next twenty four hours. He will need blood replenishing potion and strengthening tonics. I will return whichever elf sees me to the school with several other potions for him. He should avoid solid food today, soup, pudding and the like only, and avoid any heavy, greasy foods for the next several days. I will come back to check him this evening. He appears to have sustained other injury to the abdomen beside the curse."

He flicked his wand over himself, removing the mingled Malfoy blood. "I'm quite certain that you were politely going to invite me to stay for breakfast but I must be returning to Hogwarts immediately."

The women thanked him, and Narcissa called for Rinka to escort him back to the school.

It was nearly six in the morning. At this point, there wasn't much use trying to put Caelum back to bed, so Luna asked for Rinka to bring breakfast when she returned.

Narcissa slipped her son's arms out of his sleeves, frowning slightly when she saw he had a second wand strapped to the inside of his left forearm. She unfastened the holster, sliding it off, and put it with Draco's regular wand on the nightstand. She gently slid the shirt out from under him, and transfigured his pants into pajamas. She placed a kiss on his forehead, and stepped back, looking at him sadly.

"Mimsy." She called.

The fat elf popped in, ears dropping. "Yes, Mistress Cissy?"

"Has my husband been taken to his room?" she asked softly.

"Yes Mistress." The elf nodded vigorously. "Dimpy go with him. Dimpy be to watch and give potions like Sir Snape say to Master." Mimsy did an odd sort of shrug. "Dimpy devoted to Master. Dimpy will not be to leaving until Master much better."

Narcissa muttered something about "elf" and "masochist." "Thank you Mimsy. Please make sure someone cleans up the hallway."

The elf nodded again. "Mimsy already send Linus to clean. But Mimsy will check, because Linus still rather stupid."

"Thank you Mimsy. That is all." Narcissa dismissed the elf and turned to Luna. "I'm going to see to Lucius now. I'll be back later but let me know if anything changes with Draco."

"Gam!" Caelum shouted.

Narcissa smiled. "Yes, I almost forgot to kiss you, didn't I?" She walked over and kissed the top of the child's head.

"Mmmmm." Caelum offered her a piece of toast.

"Thank you." Narcissa winked at her grandson and ate the torn piece he offered.

She turned to Luna, who was cutting pieces of banana for the boy. "Take care of our boys." She smiled sadly and leaned over to kiss the top of Luna's head as well.

"Always." Luna looked up at her seriously.

Once Narcissa left and all of Caelum's food was cut and on his tray, Luna took her tea and sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Draco. She checked his pulse again, finding it strong and steady. Her finger skimmed up his arm to trace the outlines of the Dark Mark.

They wouldn't be going anywhere for the next few days.

She looked at the two wands side by side on the nightstand. She wondered how long Draco had been carrying hers as well as his own. Her fingers ached to touch it, but she was afraid that some charm had been placed to alert the Dark Lord if she did.

She settled for knowing it was there, and that Draco had it for when they needed it.

* * *

><p>AN - Snape is not a morning person either. ;)


	42. Chapter 40

Draco opened his eyes slowly. His mouth tasted of blood.

He was in a strange place.

No, wait, he was in the nursery. He just wasn't in his bed.

He was in Luna's bed?

He turned his head slowly. Luna and Caelum sat on the floor, building a tower of blocks.

She tilted her head, noticing his movement. "Draco?" she asked, starting to rise.

"Duhduh." Caelum pointed. "No."

She smiled at the child. "Yes, Daddy is in the wrong bed, isn't he?"

She crossed over to sit on the edge of the bed. "How do you feel?" she brushed his hair away from his face.

"My stomach hurts." He frowned, looking toward his waist, as if trying to remember what happened.

"Apparently you were hit with what Professor Snape called Dolohov's signature curse. You were bleeding internally. You made it up here but passed out on my bed." She reached over to check his pulse, subtly counting his breaths.

"I knew he got me with something but I didn't know what it was." Everything was starting to come back. "What happened with my father?"

She didn't meet his eyes. "What do you remember?"

Draco would have snorted if he wasn't already starting to get short of breath. "I remember coming upstairs and finding that he, Yaxley, and Avery had been trying to break down the door up here." He reached up, tilting her chin to face him. "I cursed him. Did I kill him?"

"No." she shook her head. "Almost, but help got to him in time."

"Oh." He said.

"Are you relieved or disappointed?" she asked softly, as now he was the one looking away. "Or kind of both?"

He clamped his lips together for a moment and got a faraway look in his eyes. "I think both."

She squeezed his hand. "I think that's understandable."

He didn't respond.

"I'll get your potions." she handed him three vials, which he rolled up on one elbow to drink.

"Are you hungry?" she took the empty containers from him.

He shook his head.

"Duhduh!" Caelum called, holding out his little arms in his "pick me up" sign.

Draco smiled, holding his arms out as well. "I can't reach you."

Caelum shifted around, so that he was on his hands and knees. Once he got there, he rocked back and forth, unsure what to do, until the back half of his body seemed to crumple, and he was left laying on the floor, holding his head and chest up on wobbly little arms.

Luna scooped the child up and planted a kiss on his cheek. "You were trying to go to Daddy." She laid Caelum next to Draco. The baby reached up and kissed his father's chin.

Draco's jaw hardened, but he didn't speak.

"We've got to get out of here." Luna whispered.

"You think I don't know that?" Draco growled.

She reached over Caelum to brush Draco's hair back. "You've kept us safe so far. I'm worried about you."

"No." Caelum said, looking at Luna. He then turned back to Draco and began to jabber.

"Oh, I'm sorry, was I interrupting?" she smiled at the child, tickling his side.

Caelum laughed, pushing at her hand. "Muhmee. Duhduh." he pointed at himself.

"Cae-lum." Luna answered, her fingers encircling his hand.

"Duhduh." Caelum repeated, snuggling into Draco's chest.

"So you're Daddy's boy?" Draco tickled him. He looked over Caelum at Luna. "There is a leather pouch in the back of the second drawer of the desk. It's an emergency escape route my mother set up. She gave it to me a few days ago, and I should have shown it to you sooner. It's a portkey, but you can only go through if Caelum or I are with you. I'm not sure where it goes, but it's warded to allow members of the Black family through. If anything like last night happens again, take Caelum and get out of here."

She looked at him. "What about you?"

Hard grey eyes looked back at her. "You promised me that if it ever came to a time that I told you to take Caelum and run, you would do it."

She nodded. "What would they do to you when they find out we're gone?"

He looked down at Caelum. "Don't worry about that. Just go. I'll do my best to get out and find you."

She reached over and held his hand. They lay there and listened to Caelum chatter obliviously.

An owl arrived in the middle of the afternoon.

The message was short and to the point.

_How is Draco?_

_S. S._

Luna flipped the parchment over to write her reply.

_He has slept off and on. He wakes up with pain but the potions seem to ease him enough that he goes back to sleep. He hasn't eaten anything. He said he doesn't want soup and will just wait until he can have real food._

_L. L. _

As Luna and Caelum ate their supper, someone knocked at the door. Draco reached over and grabbed both wands, slipping Luna's under the covers and pointing his at the door.

"Who is it?" he called.

"Severus Snape, the staff healer." came the reply.

Luna opened the door for him.

Snape stormed in, robes billowing. He looked at the table where Luna and Caelum's food was waiting, and at Draco, laying in bed with no food or drink around.

"You will drink this." he held out a large glass. "Strengthening potions will help if you have protein in your system for them to bind with. Pouting that your prescribed diet is not to your liking will not help you recover."

Draco took a sip and made a face. "What's in this?"

"Trust me, you don't want to know." Snape drawled. "You should have taken the soup."

Draco sighed and took another swig, knowing that Uncle Sev would not leave until he drank the whole thing.


	43. Chapter 41

After Snape left, Draco decided to go to his own bed.

"Professor Snape didn't want you moved more than necessary today." Luna informed him. "It's fine for you to stay in my bed. I'll sleep in your bed."

"The day is over." Draco argued. "I will sleep better in my own bed." He grinned at Luna. "But you're welcome to sleep in there with me."

She tried to argue, but in the end, Draco refused to give in. She called Rinka to walk on his other side, knowing if he collapsed she couldn't get him up without magic. They made it into the other room, slowly, stopping to lean against something twice. Draco's spirit seemed a little better, even if he was breathing heavily from effort by the time they arrived at his bed.

Luna tucked him in, then went to get Caelum ready for his bath and bedtime. There was a knock on the nursery door. The door was opened without waiting for an answer.

Voldemort walked in, regarding Luna and Caelum with pleasant amusement.

"Miss Lovegood," he greeted. "I take it you and the boy are no worse for this morning's events."

"We are well, thank you." Luna answered stiffly. "Draco is in the bedroom."

"Of course he is." the Dark Lord nodded to her. "Please, do not let me disturb you."

He crossed over and stepped into Draco's bedroom.

"Draco." his oily voice hung heavily in the air. "Severus informs me you were nearly killed by Dolohov's spell. Fortunately for you, he was here tending your father and was able to help you." Voldemort studied the potion bottles Luna had lined up on the side of the bed. "I also understand you very nearly killed your father."

Draco's mind raced, wondering where this conversation was going.

"You are so like me." Voldemort sneered. "I killed my own father. Of course, he was a filthy, unfaithful muggle. Yours is simply a weak, pretentious coward."

"I do not wish to be like my father, my lord." Draco answered. He didn't want to be like Voldemort either, but that wouldn't do to say aloud.

"No, but you are a father yourself, at such a young age, and soon to be a father again." Voldemort picked up a potion bottle and pretended to read the label. "Certainly you understand how to raise your children appropriately, not withstanding the poor example of a father you have had."

"My children will be raised to believe in our ways, my lord." Draco replied automatically.

There was a tap at the door from the nursery. Luna poked her head through.

"I was about to give Caelum his bath and get him ready for bed. Is it all right for us to pass through?" she asked.

Voldemort gave his twisted version of a smile and gestured graciously at the bathroom door. "By all means, Miss Lovegood. I just came to check on Draco. I had no intention of disrupting the nursery routine."

She came through with Caelum in her arms. He smiled at his father, but his expression fell and he buried his face in Luna's neck at the sight of the Dark Lord.

Voldemort stepped over and touched the child's back. "Do you fear your lord, little Malfoy?"

Caelum's arms tightened around Luna's neck.

"He's tired, you see." Luna smiled at Voldemort. "He only wants Draco or me when he's sleepy. He doesn't even like Narcissa when he's like this."

"Very well, then. Give the child his bath and put him to bed." Voldemort dismissed them.

Voldemort stood where he stopped, looking at Draco with an unreadable expression. He waited until the water was running in the bathroom, and then disapparated with a puff of black smoke. He walked back through the door from the nursery a minute later.

"My lord?" Draco asked, frowning.

Voldemort walked back to his bedside. "You were most impressive this morning, Draco. You took down Crabbe and Goyle in physical combat, you bested two of my inner circle, you were cunning enough to expect Bella's trap, and you nearly killed your father, after walking upstairs with a potentially fatal injury." Red eyes bored into silver ones. "I am reassured that you, physically and mentally, are every bit the soldier I have trained you to become. However, I question your loyalties and emotions. You seem more dedicated to your little family here than to our cause, or to me." Voldemort leaned forward just slightly. "Let me make my position clear. You serve me. If you continue to serve me devotedly, I will allow you to keep your family. If I see disloyalty, disrespect, or even hesitation on your part, well, I have just shown you that I can walk through your wards and apparate into the nursery. I can also cross the wards to your parents' chamber. Do we understand one another, Draco?"

"Yes my lord." he choked out.

"Very well. Get some rest." Voldemort turned and walked from the room with a swish of robes.

* * *

><p>Draco was staring at the ceiling when Luna came out of the bathroom with Caelum. She brought him over and allowed him to absently kiss the child before she took the baby to the nursery and put him to bed.<p>

When she came back twenty minutes later, dressed in her pajamas, he was still staring at the ceiling.


	44. Chapter 42

A/N - The first person who reviewed the last chapter mentioned something about it being short. I thought it was a little odd, because that was actually one of my longer chapters. Then someone else said it was short. I went back and looked, and more than half of the chapter got cut off somehow. This should have been the second half of the last chapter.

And Opaque, are you that good or am I that transparent?

* * *

><p>Draco was staring at the ceiling when Luna came out of the bathroom with Caelum. She brought him over and allowed him to absently kiss the child before she took the baby to the nursery and put him to bed.<p>

When she came back twenty minutes later, dressed in her pajamas, he was still staring at the ceiling. He barely acknowledged her when she crawled into bed bedside him

"What are you thinking about?" she whispered, leaning on one elbow and brushing his hair away from his face with her other hand.

"We've got to get out of here." He answered hoarsely. "It's not safe here."

She glanced toward his waist. "No, it's not."

"Not for any of us." He shook his head. "We've got to get out of here. My mother too. He'll kill her if we leave and she stays."

"We can't leave tonight." She drew shapes on his arm with one fingertip. "You're not in any shape to travel. We'll talk to her again tomorrow. Maybe we can change her mind. Especially after this."

"She won't leave my father. And I'm not taking him with us." Draco grumbled. "I'm sure she's been with him all day."

"She did come in to check on you twice." Luna assured. "You were asleep both times. We'll talk to her. Maybe she will leave. Maybe we should take your father."

Draco's head snapped toward her. "No way in hell. He was the one out there trying to get into the nursery. The Dark Lord told him you're pregnant. He was ready to attack you and Caelum, according to him, for my own good."

"Maybe he will see things differently after this." She dragged a finger down the center of his chest. "Maybe he's … Do that again." She frowned at him.

"What?" he looked at her curiously.

"Draw a really deep breath like that." She placed her palm flat over his heart.

"It tickled." He rolled his eyes.

"Just do it." She gave him a look that said she wouldn't accept an argument.

He inhaled quickly and deeply again. Luna started to get up.

"What is it?" he asked.

"You rattle when you breathe deeply like that."

He grabbed her arm. "It's fine."

She looked at his fingers. "The last time you told me that was right before you passed out with serious internal bleeding. Now your fingernails are blue."

He pulled his hand back and looked at it. "No they're not."

She held her hand next to his. "Look at the difference between yours and mine."

"We've got other body parts that don't look alike." He smirked.

She shoved off the bed before he could stop her. "I'm calling Snape."

"Luna!" he bounded off the bed, almost collapsing the moment he was upright. She rushed back to his side. "Don't leave the suite. Please. Get Rinka to have my mother call if you must, but don't leave these rooms."

She nodded, helping him back into the bed. She called for Rinka and asked the elf to get Narcissa. Rinka apparated back with Draco's mother a moment later.

"What is it?" Narcissa asked, rushing to the bed. She ran a hand over Draco's face and felt for his pulse.

"He rattles when he breathes deeply." Luna informed her. "And his fingertips are blue. I think we should call Professor Snape."

Narcissa snatched his hand up to study his fingernails.

"You're right." she nodded. "I'm going downstairs to call Severus."

She flew out of the room, followed by Rinka.

"You're making a big deal out of nothing." he grumbled.

She shrugged. "Maybe I am. But if I'm wrong then we'll just have to listen to Professor Snape complain. I've already heard plenty of that."

He smiled at her.

Narcissa returned five minutes later with Rinka and Severus Snape in tow.

Snape pointed his wand at Draco's chest and murmured the charm to magnify the sound of Draco's breathing.

"You have a decided rasp upon deep inhalations." Snape frowned. "It appears that Dolohov's curse may have lacerated your lung. The counterspells should have repaired it, or mostly repaired it, but there appears to be some blood in your lung." He flipped back the covers to look at Draco's feet. "Your lower extremities are even more discolored." He looked up at Narcissa. "We should take him to St Mungo's to be checked over."

"No." Draco said stubbornly.

Narcissa and Snape turned to look at him.

"I'm not leaving Luna and Caelum."

"We should be talking about only a few hours. Your mother can stay here with them. But you really should be seen by an actual healer for this." Snape frowned at him.

"We'll bring them with us." Narcissa offered.

"The Dark Lord would never allow it." Draco shook his head.

As if on cue, there was a knock at the door, and Voldemort showed himself in.

"Draco." he surveyed the group around the bed before turning back to the one he had addressed. "You didn't mention earlier that you were unwell."

"I hadn't been moving around much, and didn't realize there was a problem." Draco answered.

"My lord," Snape dipped his head. "Draco appears to have suffered a lung injury when attacked by Dolohov. He is short of breath on exertion, his fingertips and feet are discolored from lack of oxygen, and he has an audible rattle to his breathing. We were just taking him to St Mungos."

"No, you are not." the Dark Lord folded his arms. "Whatever needs to be done for him will be done here. He will not leave the house tonight."

"My lord," Snape clenched his lips uncertainly before continuing. "His injuries are most likely beyond my capabilities. He needs a trained healer."

Voldemort stared hard at the man before answering. "Then call the child's healer and ask him to come here. Draco will not leave this house until I say he may."

Voldemort turned abruptly and left the room.

"I'll call Ferguson." Narcissa looked at Snape.

"He's a pediatrician." Draco rolled his eyes.

"He's a pediatric cardiopulmonary specialist." Snape rolled his own eyes. "And you are hardly an elderly man."

"Can we trust Ferguson?" Luna asked.

"Between what he's paid and the fact he knows he's coming to a house full of Death Eaters to see Caelum, he'd be a fool not to keep his mouth shut." Draco snorted.

Narcissa slipped out of the room. She returned a few minutes later with Healer Ferguson. He ran a few disgnostic charms.

"Well, Draco, it appears that you did suffer a blunt trauma injury to your chest, and Mr. Snape apparently did heal the injury, but there is some blood in the lower part of your lung. I'm going to give you a potion to clear your lungs and an antibiotic just to make sure there's no infection. I'll check on you late tomorrow, but of course let me know if anything changes."

Everyone thanked the man, Snape asked some technical questions about the potions, and Narcissa showed Ferguson back to the floo.

Snape turned to Luna. "The potion to clear Draco's lungs contains an ingredient that could react with the sopophorous bean extract in Dreamless Sleep. Therefore, make sure Draco does not take any tonight or tomorrow night."

"You could have told me that." Draco snapped.

"Yes, but you are not the most compliant of patients." Snape drawled. "Furthermore, Miss Lovegood shows a natural aptitude for healing arts. Perhaps you should consider sending her to formal training. It certainly would be to your benefit to have a healer in the house."

Draco glared at him. Snape merely turned on the spot, leaving the room with his robes twirling about his legs. The door clicked shut behind him.

"I wonder if he practiced that when he was younger." Luna mused.

Draco looked at her and laughed, breaking off holding his lower ribs. "Don't make me laugh. That hurts."

"When I asked if we could trust Healer Ferguson earlier, I was asking if he has loyalties to the Dark Lord." Luna looked over at Draco.

Draco shrugged. "He's pretty much neutral as far as the war goes. His loyalty is to his patients. When Caelum was critically ill, he stayed at the hospital for hours after his shift was over on several occasions. That's why I chose him."

Narcissa returned with two vials of potions. Draco obediently drank both of them, frowning after the second one. Narcissa kissed his forehead and tucked him in as she used to do when he was a child.

Luna sneaked into the nursery to make sure Caelum was all right before crawling into Draco's bed. She snuggled against his chest, his arm around her waist, his breath tickling her shoulder.

She had a feeling this was going to be a long night.


	45. Chapter 43

Knowing what was coming did not make it any less distressing when it began.

"No." Draco whimpered pitifully in his sleep. "Please, no."

Luna patted his face gently. "Draco, wake up. You'll hurt yourself if you thrash about."

He jerked away from her, his head whipping back and forth.

"Draco, easy. Come to me." she said softly.

"No." his right hand came up to his midsection. "Hurts." he muttered.

"Be still and open and your eyes. It won't hurt then."

His left arm flailed out, whacking the side of Luna's head with his forearm. His eyes flew open as Luna's hand came up to touch the spot he had just hit.

"Luna!" his eyes went wide and he scrambled to sit up, doubling over in pain once he had. Her arms went around him.

"Draco. Draco, look at me. What's wrong?" she tipped his chin up to face her.

"I hit you." he looked at her in horror.

"It was just a bump on the head." she shrugged. "Probably won't even leave a mark. It's much better than the time you broke my shoulder. Now what's wrong with _you_?"

"My stomach hurts." he didn't seem relieved by her reassurance.

She reached over him to touch his wand and cast a quick tempus charm. "You can have some more pain potion. I'll get it for you."

He frowned at her. "Why did you use my wand instead of yours?"

"Because I don't know if Voldemort has a spell on it to tell if I had touched it." she measured out the dose of potion carefully.

"I didn't think of that." Draco tipped back the cup she offered. "He told me not to let you have it. I probably should have thought of something like that."

She carefully sat beside him on the bed, trying not to jostle him more than necessary. It was obvious when the potion began to take effect, as his tense muscles began to loosen.

"You knew I was going to have a nightmare and you stayed anyway." he looked at her, eyes starting to dull from the potion.

"I was afraid you would hurt yourself." she kissed his forehead.

"I hurt you." he frowned.

"Not really. You bumped into me in the hall at Hogwarts harder than that." she shrugged.

"Really? I don't remember." he frowned again.

"Don't worry about it." she laid down beside him. "Just go back to sleep."

"What if I hurt you again?" he asked.

"Try to think about happy things. Imagine being away from here. Somewhere that we're safe and don't have to look over our shoulders all the time." she stroked his hair.

"If Potter doesn't win, we'll be looking over our shoulders forever. The Death Eaters will look for us. If he does win, we'll be looking over our shoulders until they come and arrest me." he shook his head. "Then at least you and Caelum and my mother will be safe. I'll always have a price on my head."

"We'll go somewhere that they've never heard of Death Eaters." Luna soothed. "Somewhere they will never find us."

"Where they'll never find us." Draco repeated, his eyes drooping shut.

Draco was a little better the next morning. He was able to get up and come to the nursery for breakfast without getting as short of breath as he did getting to his bed the night before. He actually ate a little, although he insisted he just wasn't hungry, probably due to all the potions he was taking.

After the meal, he sat in the armchair with Caelum in his lap. He lifted the baby to his feet, holding him steady. "His legs don't hold him up." he said to Luna, gesturing at his lap with his head.

Luna walked over for a better look. "What do you mean?"

"See how his ankles are turning over?" he frowned.

Caelum grinned, totally obliviously. "Mummeeee." he reached toward Luna.

"Hold still" Draco attempted to maneuver the child back into an upright position.

"No!" Caelum reached for Luna again.

She laughed. "He's definitely your child." She took the boy, looking at one of his feet. "You said that he may need braces for his legs. We'll talk to Ferguson and see what he says."

"But we can't get him braces because the Dark ..." he trailed off, then looked up at Luna in realization. "If we leave, we won't have Ferguson any more."

She knelt beside him, Caelum still in her arms. "It will be different, but it will be better. We'll all be together, and we'll be safe."

He didn't answer.

They spent the day quietly in the nursery. Draco was obviously on the mend, in less pain and breathing better, but still by no means ready to resume his regular routines.

Ferguson came by before dinner. Draco had to alter the wards to let the healer in, as he had forgotten to include him earlier.

Caelum looked at the man uncertainly.

"I'm here to see to your dad today, Caelum." the healer told him with a smile. "Nothing for you to worry about."

Caelum smiled and proceeded to jabber at the healer, including pointing at his horse and making the rocking motion.

Ferguson looked up from the diagnostics he was running on Draco. "You don't say. A horse in the house?"

Caelum laughed and babbled on. He stopped, looking at Luna. "Mummy?" He pointed at the healer.

"His name is Healer Ferguson." she pronounced slowly.

"Hee ahh." Caelum frowned.

"Very good." she praised clapping her hands for him.

"Heee-ahhhhh." Caelum repeated, clapping his own hands.

The healer knelt in front of the baby, apparently finished with Draco. "Can you say Jack? Is that easier? Jack?"

"Jah." Caelum said, clapping his hands again.

"Yes, that was very good." Ferguson ruffled his hair. He rose and turned back to Draco. "You're healing well. Another day or so, and you should be out and about, but it will probably take at least a week before you feel 100%." he looked over at Caelum. "He, however, is doing much better than we had thought possible. It sounds like he's having trouble pronouncing certain sounds that require more tongue movement. Something you could try is taking a little peanut butter, put it on the roof of his mouth, and encourage him to lick it off. An exercise for his tongue, if you will. He's growing well, trying to catch up with others his age. He's eating well, apparently?" he looked between Draco and Luna.

"He'll eat anything you put in front of him and whatever he can beg off your plate too." Draco smirked at his son.

Ferguson grinned at the baby. "That's much better. You didn't eat much for a long time. But I guess big people food is much better than that formula stuff, hmmm?"

Caelum chattered back at him.

"Floo me next week, and we'll set a time for me to come do his checkup." The healer told Draco.

"Wait, let me show you something." Luna stopped the man before he could leave.

She lifted Caelum to his feet, holding his hands for balance. As they has before, both of his ankles rolled outward, leaving him standing on the sides of his feet.

Ferguson knelt, picking up each of Caelum's feet in turn and looking at them. "Yes, I think you need braces to hold those feet in place for a while, little man." He turned to Draco. "I know why you haven't pursued physical therapy with him, and the exercises I showed you do seem to have strengthened his legs. But he's going to need more assistance to learn to walk. It will be easier if we work with him now than if we wait a couple years. I'll talk to someone in the physical therapy department, see if they have suggestions. Glamours, clothing that would cover the braces, things like that. I'm really thinking he's going to need a walker for his balance, at least at first, and maybe we could disguise it as a toy or something."

Luna smiled at the healer. "Thank you. It sounds like you've gone outside your field of specialty quite a few times for Caelum."

"I do whatever I can for my favorite patient." Ferguson tweaked Caelum's nose. "My wife probably feels like she knows you, as much as I talk about you."

"Do you have children?" Luna asked.

"Not yet." the man's smiled faded. "We've been trying for a while, and we have a specialist appointment next week." He stood. "I'd better be going. Draco, call me if anything changes. And take care of our boy there."

He left them with a smile and a wave.

Caelum shouted "Hee ahh!" once more as the man disappeared through the door.

After dinner, Draco helped Luna give Caelum his bath, which turned into a water fight between father and son that left all three of them soaked. Luna dried and dressed Caelum, then put him in the crib while she changed her own clothes.

"No, Mummy!" Caelum shouted, making the sign for drink.

"I know, you didn't get your milk and rocked. I'll get you in a minute." She smiled at him.

Draco changed into his pajamas and dried up the mess in the bathroom with a spell. He came in the nursery to find Luna rocking Caelum, who held his dragon with one hand and his sippy cup with the other.

"Duhduh!" he cried, holding his arms out to Draco.

"Are you up for it?" Luna asked him.

"Of course." Draco answered, taking the child from her. She got up, kissing the top of Caelum's head, and let Draco have the rocking chair.

Within minutes, the boy was asleep. Draco settled Caelum into the crib and turned to Luna.

"I'm not really tired." He informed her, although his eyes said he was. "You go on in the bedroom and I'll be there in a bit."

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yeah, I'm just going to read for a bit." He settled in the armchair with a book.

She kissed him goodnight and went to the bedroom, leaving the door slightly open.

Two and a half hours later, she awoke alone. She tiptoed to the nursery door and peeked in, finding Draco in the same position she had left him earlier. She watched long enough to see that he may be staring at the book in his lap, but he wasn't turning any pages.

She stepped into the room.

"Draco, it's nearly midnight. You need to sleep." She said softly.

"I'm fine. I'm not tired at all." He looked up at her with exhaustion on his features.

"You're afraid of hurting me." She whispered. "I'll sleep in here."

"And if I wake up in a nightmare, you will come in there and you could get hurt." He dropped the book on the floor with a thunk.

"You haven't hurt me seriously..." she began.

"Yet." He interrupted.

"And several times you've wakened without trying to hurt me at all." She finished.

"Luna…" he shoved his hair out of his face.

She reached over and took his hand. "Just trust me."

"If I try to hurt you, throw the tear gas at me." He pleaded. "Or grab my wand and stun me or something."

"You won't hurt me." She assured.

He let her lead him to bed.


	46. Chapter 44

They were just finishing lunch the next day when Rinka came to nursery.

"Eff!" Caelum shouted.

Rinka wrung her hands and didn't smile. "Dark Lord send Rinka to stay with Baby Master. Dark Lord want Master Draco and Missy Luna come to dining room."

Draco looked at Luna. "You know where the portkey is."

Luna took his hand. "Let's just go see what he wants before we panic."

They walked downstairs and found not only the Dark Lord, but the high council, with the exception of Draco and Snape, assembled around the table.

He had called the inner sanctum first, and Draco afterwards. This was not good.

Draco walked to the head of the table and bowed to one knee, yanking Luna to the floor beside him.

"Draco." Voldemort stood and gestured for them to stand as well. "Miss Lovegood. There have been some … developments … this morning."

He looked at the two of them for a reaction.

"What sort of developments, my lord?" Draco asked, hoping his voice sounded reasonably calm.

"Potter and the Mudblood have been sighted." Voldemort circled them slowly. "They were seen by two of the Snatchers, but unfortunately, they escaped. They were in the home of one Xenophilius Lovegood."

Draco squeezed Luna's hand.

"Potter and Granger escaped." Voldemort repeated. "Lovegood has been arrested." Draco squeezed Luna's hand again. Voldemort paused and looked at their faces. "Unfortunately, he was obliviated of any memories of their visit."

Draco sneaked a look at his father. Lucius was pale, unshaven, staring at the table.

Voldemort began to circle again. "I wonder what business the Boy Who Lived could have with the editor of The Quibbler. Would you like to enlighten me, Miss Lovegood?" He paused again, directly in front of her.

"I don't know." She shrugged. "I haven't spoken with my father since I've been here. I haven't seen him since the school year started."

"Considering that before Dumbledore's death," he glared at Draco. "he gave Potter information about me that dated back to before you were born, you don't think your father could have had information for Potter that was more than four and a half months old?"

She looked at him evenly. "It's possible of course. However I have no idea what it could have been."

"Truly?" Voldemort asked, starting to circle again. "You amuse me, Miss Lovegood. You're not afraid of me. I wonder if you would be afraid on another's behalf."

He stopped, pointing his wand at Draco. "Crucio!"

Draco collapsed to the floor, his body convulsing. He clenched his jaw, trying not to scream, but a few sounds escaped. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth where he had bitten his lip.

"I don't know!" Luna cried. "I really don't!"

Voldemort held up his hand and the spell ceased.

"Are you positive?" he pointed his wand threateningly at Draco again.

"I don't know! My father never talked about Potter or the war or anything. He only talks about his creatures and the magazine and my mother." She declared, tears streaming down her face.

The Dark Lord stood in front of her again, staring into her eyes. "I believe you. You've actually been much more honest with me than most of my so called soldiers." He looked around the table, then at Draco, who sat on the floor, his head between his knees, before turning back to Luna. "Let this be a reminder. I will not tolerate dishonesty or disloyalty. If I learn that any of you," his gaze flickered around the group again. "have cooperated with Potter and his allies, or have knowledge of their activities that has not been shared with me, you will beg for death before I allow you that mercy."

He left the room with Bella chasing after him.

Rab Lestrange came and helped Draco to his feet. Luna moved closer to him.

"How bad are you?" she whispered.

"Bad enough." He gasped out.

"I'll get you upstairs." Rab looped his arm around Draco's waist and started to lead him from the room.

Luna looked over Draco's shoulder to where Lucius hovered uncertainly. "Have Narcissa call Ferguson ."

Draco's father nodded, and headed toward the opposite stairs.

Luna walked at Draco's other side, putting his arm across her shoulders, but his problem seemed more to be pain than weakness. The had to pause at the doorway for Draco to change the wards to allow Rab through.

"You know, my feelings are hurt that you locked me out of your room." Rab told him as he helped Draco into the bed.

"Would you let you in?" Draco raised an eyebrow at his uncle.

"No." Rab laughed.

Narcissa rushed in a moment later, trailed by Ferguson.

"My baby!" Narcissa cried.

There was a crack and a crash in the hallway.

"Drop these wards at once!" Lucius Malfoy roared.

Ferguson grinned wryly. "So how are you feeling, Draco?"

"Hurts." Draco laid both arms over his stomach.

There was another crash from the hallway.

"Damn it Draco!" Lucius shouted.

Ferguson ran some diagnostics while Narcissa opened the hall door.

"Why am I not allowed in? Draco is my son!" Lucius' tone was somewhere between a bellow and a whine.

"And Caelum is mine." Draco glared at the door.

Rab brandished his wand. "Let him in, Little Dragon. If he comes near the boy or Luna, I'll hex his bits off."

Draco flicked his wand at the door to allow his father in.

Ferguson stood back and looked at Draco. "The thing about the Cruciatus Curse is that it doesn't actually damage the tissue. It just fools the nerves into thinking you are being injured, and causes the mind the illusion of excruciating pain. Unfortunately, there are times when the perceived pain causes you to unconsciously injure yourself. The good news is, in this case, you haven't physically injured yourself. You haven't reopened any of the internal lacerations or anything like that. The bad news is, since you were recovering from those injuries, your nerves were already hypersensitive, and therefore causing you more pain in the aftermath than what normally follows with the curse. I'm going to give you something for the pain, a potion to help the nerves to regenerate, and just a splash of Dreamless Sleep. Then while you're peacefully dozing, I'm going to use a spell that will also help with the nerves. A bit uncomfortable it is, if you are awake when I do it."

Draco nodded.

"How long will he be laid up?" Rab asked.

"Well," Ferguson looked at Draco, who nodded. "The pain will hopefully be little to none when he wakes up. He will still be weak and possibly short of breath with exertion over the next day or two." he looked over at Draco. "It wouldn't hurt for you to take another blood replenishing potion or two." he turned to Narcissa. "Shall we take a look at your potion stock?"

The two of them left the room.

"Miss Lovegood, you should go check on Caelum." Lucius instructed.

"No, I think I will stay with Draco." she gave the elder Malfoy her dreamiest smile.

Lucius frowned. "No, I think you will go to the nursery."

"Look, Luna." Rab interrupted. "He wants to say something to Draco, and he doesn't want an audience. Go check on the baby, and I will stay here to make sure old Lucius behaves himself."

"Draco?" she asked.

"It's fine." Draco grumbled. "Let him say whatever it is he thinks he needs to say."

Thank you." Luna smiled at Rab. She then looked at Lucius, her expression unchanged. "If he hurts Draco, you won't have to worry about hurting him."

She skipped into the other room to check on the baby.

"Draco," Lucius sank down in the chair by the bed. "I love you. You're my only son. Regardless of what you think of me, I don't want to see you hurt."

"You were going to kill my son, the woman I love, and our unborn child." Draco growled venomously.

"No, not kill them." Lucius insisted. "The Dark Lord said we were going to send them away."

"Why should I believe you?" Draco growled.

"Because it's the truth!" Lucius cried. He clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and continued more calmly. "Draco, you know, you've been instructed since you were old enough to walk and talk, that it's your duty to make a suitable match with an appropriate pure blood witch, and produce a legitimate heir to the Malfoy dynasty."

"Luna is pureblood." Draco argued. "And I have a son. No, it was not my choice and not under the circumstances any of us would have wanted, but he's my son, I love him, and I'm not going to turn my back on him." he glared at his father. "And I'm not going to throw _my_ family aside for the Dark Lord."

"Draco." Rab interrupted. "We're talking about the Dark Lord here. You know how persuasive he is. He could sell ice to penguins."

"I do want the best for you." Lucius shook his head. "You should marry one of the Greengrass girls, or Flint's daughter. Someone of your social status. You can keep the Lovegood girl and your other children. We'll set them up in a nice country house, and you can visit them any time you want."

"You ..." Draco's response was cut off by Ferguson and Narcissa's return.

"We'll leave now so the healer can work." Rab took Lucius' arm and practically dragged him from the room. "Feel better, Draco."

Lucius gave him a look that clearly indicated that the discussion was not over.

Ferguson gave Draco three potions, which he drank one after the other. Narcissa excused herself and went into the nursery with Caelum and Luna.

"Gam!" the baby chirped.

"The healer is working on Draco now." Narcissa said.

Luna nodded."The longer the war goes on, the more unstable the Dark Lord is becoming. We've got to get out of here before he kills us all."

Narcissa looked at her for a long moment. "You, Draco, and Caelum need to leave. I can't leave Lucius."

"If you stay, you will be a weapon the Dark Lord can use against Draco." Luna pointed out to her. "If you want your son safe, leave with us, so the Dark Lord can't use you to pull him back."

"But Lucius..." Narcissa shook her head.

"Maybe if you left with us, it would make Lucius think about what's really important to him." Luna smiled sadly.

Narcissa nodded. "I'll think about it."

* * *

><p>The smell of dinner woke Draco.<p>

He came into the nursery to find Luna and Caelum eating.

"I hope you saved some for me." he grinned.

"Duhduh!" Caelum held up a bite of his chicken and chattered.

"Is it good?" Draco asked, kissing the top of the child's head.

"How are you feeling?" Luna asked.

"Much better." Draco sat down and picked up his own plate, which Rinka had left under a warming charm. "Very little pain, and much stronger than I was this morning."

"Good." Luna smiled. "Ferguson said you could have more pain potion after you ate something, if you needed it."

They ate dinner, played with Caelum, gave him his bath, and put him to bed. Once he was asleep, Luna turned to Draco.

"Come in here with me. I want to talk to you." she led him into the bedroom and closed the door.

"What is it?" Draco was concerned with her sudden seriousness.

She slipped her arms around his waist, laying her head on his chest.

"My father was arrested today." she began. "He was all I had before you and Caelum. I always took for granted that one day this would all be over and I would go home to him. But now I know there's no guarantee of that. There's a war going on. I don't know what's going to happen to you, me, and Caelum or my father when it's over. But I love you. And I love Caelum. For whatever time we have left, I want us to be a family. In every sense of the word. I want us to live in the moment for every moment we have. Please give that to me."

He drew back to look down at her. "Luna, are you asking for ... ?"

She nodded.

They stared at each other for a long moment. Just when Luna was about to give up and admit defeat, she saw the dam break behind his eyes. His head dropped toward hers, and their lips met.

He kissed her, deeply, slowly, tenderly. She was so consumed with the kiss that she didn't realize he had been moving the two of them until he pressed her backwards onto the bed. His lips finally left hers as he trailed kisses across her jaw towards her ear. He leaned on one elbow, trying to keep the crush of his weight off her, while the other hand was unbuttoning her pajama top.

"Help me with this." he murmured against her neck before returning to raining kisses on her skin.

Luna held the fabric while he slid the buttons out of the holes. When the top fell open, she shimmied her arms out, and he shoved the garment aside. His eyes darkened as she was exposed to him, and Luna could not tear herself away from watching his face.

"Luna." he whispered her name.

His hands found her breasts, and Luna's back arched off the bed at the sensation. He moved his palms over her, teasing her nipples with the heels of his hands while kissing her collarbone. She threw her head back and closed her eyes. One of his hands left and as she opened her eyes to protest, the tip of his tongue found the place where his hand had been. Luna gasped and Draco chuckled deep in his throat. The other breast received similar attention before he slid further down, his hands and mouth sparking the most delicious tingles in places that Luna didn't know existed. He kissed his way down her belly as he tugged off her pajama bottoms. One finger slipped inside her and Luna gasped.

His mouth moved downward, and his tongued flicked a certain place that had Luna's hips arching off the bed. She unconsciously began moving against his hand. Another minute of his finger moving inside her and mouth working just above, and the feelings that had been building inside her exploded, leaving her gasping.

By the time she returned to herself and opened her eyes, Draco had shucked off his pajama pants and moved into position between her legs.

"Are you ready?" he whispered.

She nodded, not taking her eyes from his.

One quick thrust, and they were joined.

Luna clenched her eyes shut, trying to hold back the tears of pain that leaked out around the edges and bit her lip to keep from crying out.

"I'm sorry, love." he whispered. "I swear it's only like this the first time."

She nodded. "I'm okay." she finally managed to choke out.

He began to move slowly, and as her body accustomed himself to him, it still hurt, but she could see where this might feel good at some point.

His movements became faster, and she opened her eyes to watch him, to see the passion and emotions playing across his face. He was beautiful.

He shoved into her seemingly as far as he could, then bucked against her as if trying to go deeper. He moaned her name.

She reached up, placing her hand on his cheek, and then pulled him down for a kiss.

"I promise next time it will be better." he whispered.

"It must get better, or women wouldn't keep doing this." she smiled at him.

He reached for his wand and cleaned them up with a quick spell.

He then rolled them onto their sides, still entangled in one another, neither wanting to let go.

"Luna," he murmured.

She tried to pull back and look at him, but he held her so tightly she couldn't. "Yes?" she answered.

"When all this is over, ... if Potter wins, I'm going to Azkaban. Promise me you'll raise Caelum. That you'll be his mother. You'll be taken care of. He's the Malfoy heir as well as the Black heir. You'll never have to worry about..."

She squeezed him tighter. "I don't care about money. I'll do whatever I have to do to take care of Caelum."

His hand came up to brush her stomach. "I wish I could give you a child of your own. Our little Scorpius. But I can't do that to you, knowing I won't be there. I know what it's like trying to raise one child alone. I can't leave you with two children to raise alone."

"I'll have a child of my own." she told him. "I'll have Caelum, and he is my child."


	47. Chapter 45

_"Ah, Draco." the Dark Lord sighed. "You have disappointed me once again."_

_Draco was tied to his chair. Voldemort paced in front of him._

_"This is becoming an unfortunate habit with you. One would think you would have learned, after you were tortured to the point you couldn't walk for two days. But no, once again, you force me to correct you." he stopped and looked at Draco for a moment, then resumed his pacing. "I don't think direct punishment gets your full attention. We shall have to try another method." In the blink of an eye, Voldemort disappeared in a puff of black smoke._

_He materialized a few moments later, holding Luna by the arm._

_"I do believe it will be more effective if the punishment is directed toward something or someone you care about instead. I have told you on more than one occasion that you are allowed to keep your woman and child through my generosity." Voldemort flicked his wand. Luna flew backwards, landing on her back on the table, and ropes came from underneath to bind her. Draco's chair was pushed back and turned slightly so he could better see what was about to happen. "Tonight, my generosity will be extended. Not to you, but to some of the other men gathered here who have served me more faithfully. They will enjoy your young lady instead."_

_"No," Draco whimpered. "Please, no. Punish me. Don't hurt her."_

_"I'm sorry Draco, did you think the decision was up to you?" the Dark Lord sneered. "Let's see, who shall go first? Why Lucius. I think it would be only fitting."_

_Draco's father stood and walked to Luna, unfastening his belt._

_Voldemort laughed. "Don't be too rough with her Lucius. Remember, she is pregnant."_

_Draco knew what would come next. This was the same dream he had the night before last._

_His father raised Luna's skirt and lowered his pants. Draco turned his head a fraction of a second before he heard Luna scream, tears streaming down his face._

_Then his father spoke._

_"My lord, I don't understand how the girl could be pregnant. Until this moment, she was a virgin."_

_Voldemort flew to the table, as Lucius drew back enough to show him blood between their bodies._

_The Dark Lord turned to Draco. "You have lied to me. I do not tolerate such behavior from my servants. I should kill you for this, but I daresay I believe you would welcome death."_

_The Dark Lord was going to go upstairs, get Caelum, and give the baby to Greyback._

_But this was wrong._

_Luna wasn't a virgin any more._

_"This isn't real." Draco told Voldemort. "It's just a dream."_

_"It is a dream." Luna's voice said. "It's not real, Draco. You can tell the dream what happens, or you can wake up, to where things are real."_

_"I won't let you hurt us in my dreams." Draco told the Dark Lord. "I'm going to go to Luna now."_

He opened his eyes slowly to find Luna watching him curiously.

"Hey." he leaned up and kissed her. "I'm okay." He pulled her down against him. "I told the Dark Lord he can't hurt us in my dreams." he whispered into her hair.

"Good." she murmured.

* * *

><p>"Mummy! Muh-meeeeeeee!"<p>

The shrill little voice woke Luna and Draco as the sun began to rise the next morning.

"I've been replaced." Draco grumbled.

Luna scrambled for her pajamas. "I'm coming Caelum."

Draco didn't bother with his pajamas. He smirked at her as he walked past to the bathroom.

Luna came into the nursery to find Caelum standing in his crib, holding onto the rail. He shook his head frantically. "No Mummy." He pointed to the bedroom. "Duhduh." He pointed to the bed in the corner. "Mummy."

Draco came in, dressed in pajama bottoms and a tee shirt, and slipped his arms around Luna's waist from behind. "Mummy is going to sleep in Daddy's room now. " He looked over her shoulder. "He's standing up." Draco nodded toward the crib.

"I see him." Luna smiled.

"Mmmmm." Caelum announced.

As they watched, his little legs began to buckle. Both parents rushed to the crib as he started to fall.

Draco scooped up the baby and cradled him. Caelum laughed and kissed his father's cheek.

"Eff!" Caelum shouted.

Rinka popped in, smiling. "Is Baby Master ready for his breakfast?"

"Mmmmmm!" Caelum repeated.

"Rinka will bring tray." She apparated back out.

Luna took Caelum from Draco, giving him a kiss before settling him into the high chair. "One of these days we're going to have to learn to let him fall."

Draco glared at her. "He'll get hurt."

"Not really." Luna shook her head. "But he has to learn how to get back up."

Draco looked at her for a long moment, but never answered because Rinka came in with breakfast.

Once food was distributed and they began eating, Draco looked up at Luna. "I think my father was telling the truth."

"About what?" she frowned.

"He said the night they attacked the nursery, the goal wasn't to harm you and Caelum but to take the two of you away. That makes sense. The Dark Lord knows that I wouldn't have any reason to keep serving him if I lost the two of you. But if you were being held somewhere, I would do whatever he wanted to free the two of you."

"Do you think he's still going to try to move us out of here?" Luna paused with her fork halfway to her mouth.

Draco shook his head. "Probably not. He made his point the night he came in here while you were giving Caelum his bath. He can get through my wards, so I shouldn't give him a reason to."

"But we're still leaving, right?" she asked.

He nodded. "The first of May." He took a bite of toast and chewed it slowly. "He can also get through my father's wards. We have to get my mother to come with us."

Luna sighed. "Draco, we'll do everything we can to convince her. But if she refuses, we have to go, and there's no turning back. I don't want to leave her here either, but if she won't come, the rest of us still have to go."

He didn't say anything, just pressed his lips into a thin, grim line.

There was a light tap at the door.

"Who is it?" Draco called.

"Your favorite uncle." a voice answered.

Draco crossed the room and opened the door to Rab.

"Who says you're my favorite uncle?" Draco rolled his eyes.

"Considering the only other uncle you have is an antagonistic old drunk, I say it should be no contest." Rab smirked.

Draco snorted. "You forgot my Uncle Severus."

"Doesn't count." Rab grinned. "He's not really related to you."

"Neither are you." Draco smiled in spite of himself.

"See, you're smart." Rab swiped Draco's last strip of bacon. "You get that from me, obviously."

"Is there an actual purpose to this visit, or did we run out of bacon downstairs?" Draco folded his arms.

Rab pretended he was going to take Caelum's toast, to which the child shouted "No!"

"I came to tell you the Dark Lord wants to see you." Rab poked through the scones on the breakfast tray. "And to tell you that Avery is dead."

"Avery?" Draco's brow creased.

"He died of his injuries from trying to break in to the nursery." Rab bit off a chunk of orange scone.

"He shouldn't have been trying to get in here." Draco growled, jaw clenched.

"Nope." Rab picked up another scone and placed it on Caelum's tray. "Blueberry are the best." he informed the boy. "Get dressed and come downstairs. We'll be waiting on you." he turned toward the door. "See you Luna."

"You'd better hurry." Luna sighed.

* * *

><p>"Draco."<p>

He was singled out as he entered the room, all the other members of the high council already seated around the table.

All the surviving members, that was. The recent deaths and captures had left them with several empty seats. He slid into his chair across from Bella.

"Sorry I'm late, my lord." he murmured, head dipped in reverence.

"Now that you have joined us, we can proceed. We are discussing our plans for the Hogwarts mission. Severus here informs us that the aurors have questioned Mulciber and Nott under the effects of veritiserum, and are aware that we plan to launch an offensive against the school. However, neither of them was involved in much of the planning, so the resistance does not appreciate fully what lays in store for them." Voldemort informed the group, then looked to his spy.

"They believe we will bring a small group, and try to enter the school to attack from within." Snape began. "Such as the night Dumbledore was killed." Draco clenched his fists under the table. "The vanishing cabinet has been removed from the school premises to prevent it being used again."

Voldemort looked at Draco with a parody of a smile. "Some of you asked what Draco has done to deserve the prisoner he was given. Why he wasn't punished more severely for not killing Dumbledore. Draco started the war for us." Voldemort laughed. "He made the way for the goal to be accomplished, even if he himself was not the one to do so."

Draco felt sick and began to sweat. He had never considered what the vanishing cabinet had led to before.

"But we shall be working on a larger scale this time." the Dark Lord continued. "The resistance don't know we have the giants on our side, or the followers we have recruited in Romania and Russia. When we have taken control of the school and are executing Potter sympathizers in the Great Hall, the Boy Who Lived will have no choice but to come forward and face us."

Draco stared at the table, breathing deeply, focusing on forcing back the nausea. Children were going to be slaughtered.

"Draco."

He looked up sharply to find the Dark Lord looking at him. "You know how to get in and out of the castle without the cabinet, correct?"

"Yes, my lord." he swallowed dryly. "There are a number of secret passages that have probably been long since forgotten."

"Very good. You will be going in to the castle, to meet with Crabbe and Goyle. The three of you will lead the Slytherins who are willing to join us to fight from within, while Bellatrix and I lead the fight from outside. Any Slytherins who aren't willing to join you, imperius them or kill them. I'll leave it up to your discretion."

Draco forced himself to pay attention as much as possible to the rest of the meeting, while wondering how he could convince the Dark Lord to drop his surveillance on them long enough to get out.

* * *

><p>AN - Yes, I'm playing with the time line. In the books, the scene at the Lovegood house occurred while Luna should have been home on Christmas break, and the escape from Malfoy Manor was in March. It's late April now in my story. But this is my story and I can change things. ;)


	48. Chapter 46

Narcissa stopped by the nursery mid-morning.

"I hope you came to tell me that you're going with us." Luna said, looking up from where she was doing Caelum's exercises with him.

"Gam!" Caelum grinned at her.

"Hello, Caelum." Narcissa gracefully sat down in the armchair. "I really don't know." She studied her wedding ring.

"If you don't, Draco may not leave." Luna replied, turning back to Caelum.

"He needs to go whether I do or not." Narcissa looked toward the window. "All of you do."

"Rab has been hanging around more lately." Luna changed the subject. "Should we trust him?"

"He relates to Draco." Narcissa stood, waving her wand to move the chair closer to Luna and Caelum, and sat down again. "They were the only two Death Eaters initiated while they were still underage. Rab has always been somewhat left out. His mother died when he was young. His father was so dedicated to the Dark Lord he never had much time for Rab. Rod always looked down on him because he was so much younger. He joined the Death Eaters trying to fit in somewhere." She looked at the window again. "The attack on the Longbottoms was his very first mission as a Death Eater. Rod and Bella blamed him for the lot of them being caught." She shook her head sadly. "He stays with the Death Eaters because he has no place else to go."

"Would he come with us if we offered him a way out?" Luna asked.

Narcissa sighed. "Not everyone can be redeemed, Luna."

Luna didn't answer.

"I would get out first, then ask him." Narcissa got up and left the room.

Draco didn't come back until late that afternoon. He sank into the armchair, looking much to old and tired.

"I was getting worried." Luna moved to sit beside his feet.

Draco sighed. "The Dark Lord is convinced that a siege on Hogwarts will draw out Potter and his friends, and give us the means to win the war. I was sent to work a little with Crabbe and Goyle today. To make sure they're ready. The Dark Lord wants us to kill or imperius any Slytherins who won't join us. Our friends. Pansy and Blaise. Daphne. Lucas. Some of the others, like Theo and Millie, might join but they won't."

Luna laid her head against his leg. "Theo won't. That's why his father delayed his initiation. He's hoping to get Theo out of joining."

Draco tugged on her arm until she rose, then pulled her into his lap. "At least one of us had a father who cared."

Caelum looked up from where he sat on the floor with his blocks. "Unh! Mummy! Duhduh!" He held out his arms in his "pick me up" signal."

"Rotten." Draco shook his head.

Luna walked over to pick the boy up and settled both of them back in Draco's lap, Luna sideways with her legs over the arm of the chair. Caelum gave them each a kiss and then snuggled into the corner his parents' bodies made.

Draco leaned down to kiss the top of his son's head. "I won't let you become a Death Eater. That's why we're getting out of here next week." He looked around the room. "Nine days, and we'll be gone. Somewhere they've never heard of Death Eaters. We'll start over again, just our family."

"Draco, we have to warn them." Luna said softly. "The people at Hogwarts. We have to let them know what the Dark Lord is planning."

He sighed. "It's too dangerous. If word gets back to the Dark Lord they've been tipped off, well, there are only a few people who know the details of the plan. It won't be too hard for him to narrow down where the information came from."

"Then we'll notify them after we've left here." Luna tweaked Caelum's nose, making him giggle.

"Who are we going to tell? No one knows where Harry bleeding Potter is. That's the whole point of attacking Hogwarts, to draw him out." Draco huffed.

"We could notify McGonagall. Or Arthur Weasley. Or ..."

He cut her off. "The Weasleys are in hiding too. And what if they traced the message back and exposed our hiding place? We can't risk our safety."

"We have to find some way to warn them." Luna argued stubbornly.

Draco kissed her to make her stop.

"Where are we going?" Luna asked when he released her.

"We'll try South Africa first." he smiled at her. "Their ministry stays out of other countries' politics as much as possible. The Dark Lord has too many allies in Europe and Australia. If South Africa doesn't work, then maybe Belize or Costa Rica. They're more remote, and have large magical communities, but it would be harder for us to blend in there without heavy glamours."

The conversation turned into the hows and whens, what they were going to take, what they were going to leave, and how they would get out of the country without the Ministry knowing.

Caelum got bored and fell asleep.

They slipped into a pattern. Draco spent his days in the nursery or with the Dark Lord, in strategy planning sessions for a mission he had no intention of participating in. The raids had been mostly suspended. The Dark Lord didn't want to risk losing any more key people at this point. There were a few small attacks, carried out by lower level Death Eaters, just to keep the muggles from becoming complacent.

They continued to beg Narcissa to come with them. She still would not commit.

Draco spent his nights with Luna, making love, or talking until the wee hours, or just laying there in the dark, enjoying the uneasy peace.

And then the Snatchers came.

* * *

><p>AN - yes, a short little filler kinda chapter, because all you know what's going to break loose.


	49. Chapter 47

A/N - Yes, there are lots of quotes from the book here. This is where my alternate universe crosses the real one. Well, the one that would be real if Harry Potter was real. You know what I mean.

* * *

><p>Two nights before their planned exodus from the Manor, the house was eerily quiet.<p>

After a full of day of choreographing the attack of Hogwarts, Voldemort had dismissed everyone for the evening. Most of the Death Eaters had left the premises. Apparently at least some of them had gone to Spinner's End, as Peter Pettigrew had come to the Manor. He rarely came without being summoned, as he was usually treated as a servant by the members of the high council. Even Voldemort had gone somewhere with Rod.

Luna rocked Caelum to sleep and put him in the crib. Draco's arms slid around her waist from behind.

"Why don't we go take a bath?" he whispered in her ear.

She turned in his arms. Before she could answer, they heard footsteps thundering up the stairs.

"Draco!" Lucius shouted. "Dracoooooo!"

Draco and Luna looked at one another in puzzlement, as his father sounded almost … giddy.

"DRACO!" he shouted again, from just outside the door.

Caelum began to whimper fretfully.

Luna picked up the baby while Draco opened the door to his father.

"Come quickly!" Lucius cried, reaching for Draco's arm. He was flung backwards the moment his arm crossed the door frame.

To Draco's amazement, he didn't say a word about the wards being restored. Lucius simply leaped to his feet and urged "Come on! We need you downstairs!"

"What's down there?" Draco asked suspiciously.

"Possibly our restoration." Lucius was already halfway down the hall.

Draco hurried after him. He wasn't sure what he expected to find when he reached the drawing room, but it wasn't the sight that awaited him. Scabior was holding Hermione Granger, dirty and bedraggled. One of the snatchers whose name he didn't know had a bound Ron Weasley at his feet. Greyback held a dark haired young man.

It didn't matter that the third prisoner's face was red, swollen, and distorted. Draco would have known that hair anywhere.

Somehow, the bumbling fools had managed to do the one thing the Death Eaters hadn't been able to do since the night Cedric Diggory died three years ago. They caught Harry Potter.

Draco forced himself to stay calm and think. He knew one thing for certain. He couldn't let them call the Dark Lord back.

"They say they've got Potter," said Narcissa. "Draco, come here."

Draco forced himself forward, to step closer to Potter and his friends. His saw his own fear reflected in his former classmates' eyes.

"Well, boy?" rasped the werewolf.

"Well, Draco?" said Lucius Malfoy. He sounded avid. "Is it? Is it Harry Potter?"

"I can't — I can't be sure," Draco lied.

"But look at him carefully, look! Come closer!" Lucius almost squeaked in his excitement. "Draco, if we are the ones who hand Potter over to the Dark Lord,  
>everything will be forgiv —"<p>

"Now, we won't be forgetting who actually caught him, I hope, Mr. Malfoy?" said Greyback menacingly.

"Of course not, of course not!" said Lucius impatiently, dragging Draco closer to Potter.

"What happened to his face?" Draco frowned.

"What did you do to him?" Lucius asked Greyback. "How did he get into this state?"

"That wasn't us." Greyback insisted.

As his father and the werewolf argued about what had happened to Potter's face, Draco stared intently at the green eyed boy, trying to communicate in some way for Potter to trust him. "I don't know," he finally said, and walked away toward the fireplace where his mother stood watching.

"We had better be certain, Lucius," Narcissa called to her husband in her cold, clear voice. "Completely sure that it is Potter, before we summon the Dark Lord . . ."

"Bring the girl down." Lucius instructed. "If Draco doesn't recognize his classmates, perhaps she will."

Ron caught Hermione's eye and mouthed "Girl?"

Hermione shrugged.

Draco pretended to ignore them.

"Draco, what are you waiting for?" Lucius demanded. "Go get the girl!"

Draco turned and ran for the stairs, his mind racing faster than his feet. He rushed into the nursery out of breath.

"What's happened?" Luna met him just inside the door, her eyes wide.

"They've captured Harry Potter. And Granger and Weasley." he gasped. "But they're not sure it's Potter."

"How are they not sure?" Luna's brow wrinkled. "His face has only been on posters for years."

"You'll see." Draco took her hand. "We've got to hurry. I told them I wasn't sure it was Potter, so they want you to come down to see if you can identify him. But we're going to help them escape." He leaned against the wall, still trying to catch his breath.

"Draco..." her face broke into a radiant smile.

"We're going to help them escape, and when everyone goes chasing after them, we will take advantage of the chaos to escape. Tonight."

Her smile faded slightly, replaced by a look of determination. "How?"

"I'm still working on that." he grinned. "Just follow my lead and work with me. Rinka!" he summoned the elf to stay with Caelum.

Draco led her downstairs to the drawing room. Luna looked at the trio with mild curiosity. They regarded her with open shock. Draco could only hope that everyone else had been too busy watching Luna's reaction to notice.

"My goodness!" she exclaimed. "This poor fellow has obviously fallen into a nest of stinging snabberwitches." she looked up at Lucius. "Encounters with the stinging variety are not fatal as often as if one encountered the exploding variety. However, their venom does cause terrible burning and swelling of the skin." She studied Harry's face intently. "I do hope that many stings to his face and head haven't damaged his brain."

All three Malfoys stared at Luna, speechless for a moment.

"Is it Harry Potter or not?" Lucius roared.

"Did you ask him?" Luna asked innocently.

"That's why you're here!" Lucius growled, leaning close to her face. "If I ask him, he will lie to me!"

"But how would you know he's lying if you don't know whether or not he's Harry Potter?" Luna tilted her head.

Lucius spun around, his nostrils flared and his lips clenched.

"What about the Mudblood, then?" Greyback spoke up. He shoved Potter to the ground, stepping over and jerking up Granger's head for everyone to see.

"Wait," said Narcissa sharply. "Yes — yes, she was in Madam Malkin's with Potter! I saw her picture in the Prophet! Look, Draco,  
>isn't it the Granger girl?"<p>

"I . . . maybe . . . yeah." Draco shrugged.

"But then, that's the Weasley boy!" shouted Lucius, striding over to face Ron. "It's them, Potter's friends — Draco, look at him, isn't it Arthur Weasley's son, what's  
>his name — ?"<p>

"Yeah," said Draco again, his back to the prisoners. "It could be."

The drawing room door opened.

"What is this? What's happened, Cissy?" Bellatrix Lestrange sauntered into the room.

Draco stiffened. Luna surreptitiously took his hand.

The newcomer walked slowly around the prisoners, and stopped on Harry's right, staring at Hermione through her heavily lidded eyes.

"But surely," she said quietly, "this is the Mudblood girl? This is Granger?"

"Yes, yes, it's Granger!" cried Lucius. "And beside her, we think, Potter! Potter and his friends, caught at last!"

"Potter?" shrieked Bellatrix, and she backed away, the better to take in Harry. "Are you sure? Well then, the Dark Lord must be informed at once!"

She reached for her left sleeve, but Lucius' hand shot out and grabbed her wrist.

"I was about to call him!" cried Lucius. "I shall summon him, Bella, Potter has been brought to my house, and it is therefore upon my authority —"

"Your authority!" she sneered, attempting to wrench her hand from his grasp. "You lost your authority when you lost your wand, Lucius! How dare you! Take your hands off me!"

"This is nothing to do with you, you did not capture the boy —"

"Begging your pardon, Mr. Malfoy," interjected Greyback, "but it's us that caught Potter, and it's us that'll be claiming the gold —"

"Gold!" laughed Bellatrix, still attempting to throw off her brother-in-law, her free hand groping in her pocket for her wand. "Take your gold, filthy scavenger, what do I want with gold? I seek only the honor of his — of —"

She stopped struggling, her dark eyes fixed upon something behind the prisoners. Jubilant at her capitulation, Lucius threw her hand from him and ripped up his own sleeve —

"STOP!" shrieked Bellatrix. "Do not touch it, we shall all perish if the Dark Lord comes now!"

Lucius froze, and all the other heads whipped around to look at her.

"What is that?" Bellatrix asked barely above a whisper.

"Sword," grunted the nameless snatcher.

"Give it to me." Bellatrix ordered, slightly breathless.

"It's not yorn, missus, it's mine, I reckon I found it." He folded his arms, smirking at her defiantly.

There were several flashes of light and a babble of sounds rapidly falling from her lips. In a heartbeat, the other snatchers lay stunned on the floor, with Greyback forced to his knees. Bella stood over Greyback.

"Where did you get this sword?" she whispered to Greyback as she pulled his wand out of his unresisting grip.

"How dare you, bitch?" he growled. "Release me!"

"Where did you find this sword?" she repeated, brandishing it in his face. "Snape sent it to my vault in Gringotts!"

"It was in their tent," rasped Greyback. "Release me, I say!"

She waved her wand, and the werewolf sprang to his feet, but retreated behind an armchair, rather than approach her.

"Draco, move this scum outside," said Bellatrix, indicating the unconscious men. "If you haven't got the guts to finish them, then leave them in the courtyard for me."

"Do it yourself." Draco snorted.

Bellatrix screamed "Be quiet! The situation is graver than you can possibly imagine, Draco! We have a very serious problem!" She stood, panting slightly, looking down at the sword, examining its hilt. Then she turned to look at the silent prisoners. "If it is indeed Potter, he must not be harmed," she muttered, more to herself than to the others. "The Dark Lord wishes to dispose of Potter himself. . . . But if he finds out . . . I must . . . I must know. . . ." She turned back to her sister again. "The prisoners must be placed in the cellar, while I think what to do!"

"This is my house, Bella, you don't give orders in my —" Lucius snarled at her.

"Do it! You have no idea of the danger we are in!" shrieked Bellatrix. She looked frighteningly mad. "Lucius, he will kill us all! Get the snatchers out of here and the prisoners to the cellar."

He hesitated a moment, before ordering Greyback to take the prisoners to the dungeon, and Dimpy and Peter Pettigrew to take the fallen snatchers outside.

Narcissa returned Greyback's wand to him, and he began the direct the prisoners toward the hallway.

"Wait." Bellatrix called out. "Leave the mudblood."

"No!" shouted Ron. "You can have me, keep me!"

Bellatrix hit him across the face; the blow echoed around the room.

"If she dies under questioning, I'll take you next," Bella crooned sweetly.

Potter and Weasley were barely herded out the door when Bellatrix flung the first cruciatus at Granger.

Draco pulled Luna into his chest, trying to protect her from the sight and sounds of Granger thrashing on the floor. He stared at the doorway the Savior of the Wizarding World had just been taken through.

Things were not going according to plan.


	50. Chapter 48

After two minutes, Draco wondered how much more Granger could take.

Two minutes after that, he wondered how much more _he_ could take.

Granger was screaming. Luna was crying. Even Narcissa had tried to tell Bella it was enough.

"How did you get into my vault?" Bellatrix demanded yet again. "Did that dirty little goblin in the cellar help you?"

"I don't know any goblin!" Hermione sobbed. "We've never been inside your vault. . . . It isn't the real sword! It's a copy, just a copy!

"A copy?" screeched Bellatrix. "Oh, a likely story!"

"But we can find out easily!" came Lucius's voice. "Wormtail, fetch the goblin, he can tell us whether the sword is real or not!"

The wheezy little man left the drawing room and returned a few minutes later with the goblin. There was shouting from below as the returned, and as the goblin stood in front of Bella, there was a loud crack from below.

"Someone just apparated." Narcissa frowned.

"Not possible." Lucius scoffed. "Only a Malfoy or the Dark Lord can apparate in this house. The Dark Lord doesn't make a sound, and all the Malfoys are standing here."

"It did sound like an apparition crack." Draco nodded.

"Wormtail, go check!" Lucius pointed toward the door. "Now, let's get on with this."

Pettigrew wandered out, muttering under his breath about being treated like a house elf.

Bella grabbed the goblin by one of his pointed ears and dragged him over to where the sword lay next to Granger's quivering frame.

"Look at this very carefully. Is it the real Sword of Gryffindor?" she asked, flinging him onto the floor beside it.

"Well?" Bellatrix said to Griphook. "Is it the true sword?"

Draco held hids breath.

"No," said Griphook. "It is a fake."

"Are you sure?" panted Bellatrix. "Quite sure?"

"Yes," said the goblin.

Relief broke across her face, all tension drained from it. "Good," she said, and with a casual flick of her wand she slashed another deep cut into the goblin's face, and he dropped with a yell at her feet. She kicked him aside. "And now," she said in a voice that burst with triumph, "we call the Dark Lord!"

She pushed back her sleeve and touched her forefinger to the Dark Mark.

"Bella, wait." Draco shouted. "We need all our facts together before we call the Dark Lord. Ask them why they have the fake sword."

"What does it matter?" Bella sneered. "And besides, why should I deprive my lord of the pleasure of questioning them?" She turned to Greyback. "I'm sure he will allow you the mudblood as your reward."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Ron had burst into the drawing room; Bellatrix looked around, shocked; she turned her wand to face Ron instead —

"_Expelliarmus_!" he roared, pointing Wormtail's wand at Bellatrix, and hers flew into the air and was caught by Harry, who had sprinted after Ron. Lucius, Narcissa, Draco, and Greyback wheeled about; Harry yelled, "_Stupefy_!" and Lucius Malfoy collapsed onto the hearth. Draco shoved Luna behind him. Jets of light flew from Draco's, Narcissa's, and Greyback's wands; Harry threw himself to the floor, rolling behind a sofa to avoid them.

"STOP OR SHE DIES!"

Everyone turned to find Bella holding Granger, a knife at her throat.

"Drop your wands," she whispered. "Drop them, or we'll see exactly

how filthy her blood is!"

Ron stood rigid, clutching Wormtail's wand. Harry straightened up, still holding Bellatrix's.

"I said, drop them!" she screeched, pressing the blade into Hermione's throat: Beads of blood began to appear there.

"All right!" he shouted, and he dropped Bellatrix's wand onto the floor at his feet. Ron did the same with Wormtail's. Both raised their hands to shoulder height.

"Good!" she leered. "Draco, pick them up! The Dark Lord is coming, Harry Potter! Your death approaches!"

Draco let go of Luna long enough to collect the wands and returned to her side. His mind raced, trying to find a way to distract Bella long enough that Potter could get away without tipping his hand.

Now," said Bellatrix softly. "Cissy, I think we ought to tie these little heroes up again."

"Bella …" Draco began.

Before he could even begin to think of what he was going to say, they were distracted by a strange noise.

All of them looked upward in time to see the crystal chandelier tremble; then, with a creak and an ominous jingling, it began to fall. Bellatrix was directly beneath it; dropping Hermione, she threw herself aside with a scream. Draco shoved Luna aside, trying to shield her. The chandelier crashed to the floor in an explosion of crystal and chains, falling on top of Hermione and the goblin, who still clutched the sword of Gryffindor. Glittering shards of crystal flew in all directions: Draco's hand came up to cover the bloody gash on his face.

As Ron ran to pull Hermione out of the wreckage, Harry took his chance: He leapt over an armchair and wrested the three wands from Draco's grip. Draco locked eyes with Potter for a moment, then looked at his sleeve. Potter shoved the sleeve back and grabbed the wand hostered there as well. He pointed all of them at Greyback, and yelled, "_Stupefy_!" The werewolf was lifted off his feet by the powerful spell, flew up to the ceiling, and then smashed to the ground.

Narcissa scrambled over to stand over her husband's body. Bellatrix sprang to her feet, her hair flying as she brandished the silver knife; but Narcissa had directed her wand at the doorway.

"Dobby!" she screamed, and even Bellatrix froze. "You! _You _dropped the chandelier — ?"

The tiny elf trotted into the room, his shaking finger pointing at his old mistress.

"You must not hurt Harry Potter," he squeaked.

"Kill him, Cissy!" shrieked Bellatrix, but there was another loud _crack, _and Narcissa's wand too flew into the air and landed on the other side of the room.

"You dirty little monkey!" bawled Bellatrix. "How dare you take a witch's wand, how dare you defy your masters?"

"Dobby has no master!" squealed the elf. "Dobby is a free elf, and Dobby has come to save Harry Potter and his friends!"

Draco hauled Luna close to whisper directly into her ear. "I love you."

She tried to turn to look at him, but he held her firmly. "Run to them!" he hissed.

His grip released, and she suddenly pulled her arm away, running toward Harry and Ron.

"Luna!" Draco shouted.

She looked back at him. With his back facing his family, he mouthed the word "Go."

He turned his attention to the house elf.

"No, Dobby!" Draco shouted. "You will not take Luna out of this house!"

He and the former house elf locked eyes for a fraction of a second. Draco cut his eyes toward his father, and Dobby nodded almost imperceptibly. No one else in the room appeared to notice anything, but both Luna and Harry realized something had passed between the elf and his former master's son.

"Dobby does not take orders from a Malfoy any more." the elf responded, grabbing Luna by the hand.

"Ron, catch — and GO!" Harry yelled, throwing one of the wands to him; then he bent down to tug Griphook out from under the chandelier. Hoisting the groaning goblin, who still clung to the sword, over one shoulder, Potter raced to Dobby.

As he reached the elf, he turned. "Malfoy, come with us!" Harry shouted.

Draco backed away, shaking his head. "I can't." he mouthed. He locked eyes with Luna.

Luna took Harry's hand. Harry seized Dobby's hand and Dobby grabbed hold of Weasley, who still held Granger, with the other.

The last glimpse Draco had of her was of wide eyes full of tears, swirling into a mass of blonde hair and the blur of red that was Weasley, and a streak of silver as Bella's knife hurled through the air at the group.


	51. Chapter 49

Voldemort "questioned" them for more than three hours.

When it was done, Lucius and Bellatrix had to be carried to their rooms, unable to make it under their own power. Possibly the only thing that saved their lives was the fact that Pettigrew's body had been discovered at the bottom of the stairs, strangled by his silver hand, which indicated that he had betrayed the Dark Lord. Lucius was punished for the fact he had never removed Dobby from the wards at Malfoy Manor. Bella was punished for being the senior ranking officer at the scene and allowing things to get out of hand, which allowed the escape.

Voldemort had viewed Narcissa's memories. He had seen Draco order Dobby not to take Luna, and had seen Draco call her as she ran to Potter. He had seen Potter ask Draco to come, and Draco refuse. He was more merciful, but Draco was still punished for not doing more to stop them, and for being distracted when he was hit by the flying crystal from the chandelier, which according to Voldemort, was weakness. Narcissa was punished for not acting more quickly before she was disarmed.

They were all confined to quarters until further notice.

Draco stumbled to his room, dismissing Rinka. He stood over the crib for a long moment, watching his son sleep before moving to his bedroom. He undressed down to his boxers, flinging himself onto the bed without bothering with pajamas. He stared at the canopy over head, too overwhelmed to feel anything at the moment.

If he could have gotten to Caelum...

If his mother would have come with them...

He finally dozed just before dawn, only to be awakened an hour or so later.

"Mummy!" Caelum called from the nursery.

Draco staggered into the nursery, where his bright eyed son stood, holding himself up with the crib railing.

"Muh - meee." the child repeated slowly, as if Draco had misunderstood him.

He picked up the baby, and carried him into the empty bedroom.

"Mummy's gone." he whispered as Caelum looked around.

The reality of the fact flowed over him, and Draco sank down on the edge of the bed, blinded by the tears he couldn't hold back and sobbed into his son's thin hair.

"She's gone."

* * *

><p>They landed on a dune somewhere. At least Luna presumed it was a dune. It was a sandy hill and they could hear the ocean. The stars were shining above, undimmed by manmade lights. They really were beautiful.<p>

"Hermione!" Ron was shaking the girl draped across his lap, who was just starting to regain consciousness.

"Dobby, is this the right place?" Harry whispered urgently. "Is this Shell Cottage?"

"DOBBY!" The sound was between a shriek and a moan.

Luna sat up in time to see the elf pitch forward into Harry's arms. Harry rolled the elf over in his lap as Luna crawled to them.

Bella's silver knife protruded from the elf 's heaving chest.

"Dobby — no — HELP!" Harry bellowed toward the cottage, toward the people moving there. "HELP!"

The elf 's eyes found him, and his lips trembled with the effort to form words. "Dobby has . . . saved . . . Dra . . . Draco's . . . friend . . . and . . . and . . . Harry . . . Potter . . ."

And then with a little shudder the elf became quite still, and his eyes were nothing more than great glassy orbs, sprinkled with light from the stars they could not see.

A shadow fell across the little body in Harry's arms, and Luna looked up to see Bill, Fleur, and Dean standing over them. A moment later, Harry looked up as well.

"Hermione?" Harry said suddenly. "Where is she?"

"Ron's taken her inside," said Bill. "She'll be all right."

Harry looked back down at Dobby. He stretched out a hand and pulled the sharp blade from the elf 's body, then dragged off his own jacket and covered Dobby in it like a blanket.

"Draco loved you very much." Luna whispered to the elf. "And you loved him."

"We should bury him at the end of the garden." Bill suggested hoarsely. "Then he will have flowers over his grave."

"I want to do it properly," were the first words of which Harry was fully conscious of speaking. "Not by magic. Have you got a spade?"

They offered to help, but Harry wanted to do it alone. Bill and Luna stood six feet away, watching as Harry worked by the light of the lanterns Bill brought out. Ron joined them after being shooed away by Fleur, who was tending Hermione. Eventually Dean wandered out as well, and when Harry's digging slowed, Ron and Dean took the spade from him and took over.

When the hole seemed deep enough, Harry wrapped the elf more snugly in his jacket. Ron sat on the edge of the grave and stripped off his shoes and socks, which he placed upon the elf 's bare feet. Dean produced a woolen hat from his pocket, which Harry placed carefully upon Dobby's head, muffling his batlike ears.

"We should close his eyes." Luna said softly.

Harry looked at her in surprise, as if he had forgotten she was there.

She crouched down and placed her fingers tenderly upon each of the elf 's eyelids, sliding them over his glassy stare. "There, now he could be sleeping."

Harry looked over her shoulder. Fleur leaned against Bill's side. Hermione clung to Bill's other arm, swaying on her feet. Ron jumped up and wrapped his arms around her.

Harry placed the elf into the grave, arranged his tiny limbs so that he might have been resting, then climbed out and gazed for the last time upon the little body.

"I think we ought to say something," piped up Luna. "I'll go first, shall I?"

And as everybody looked at her, she addressed the dead elf at the bottom of the grave.

"Thank you so much, Dobby, for rescuing us from Bellatrix and the Dark Lord. It's so unfair that you had to die, when you were so good and brave. I'll always remember what you did for us. I hope you're happy now. I wish Draco could have been here to tell you goodbye. I shall tell him how brave you were."

The rest of the group stared at her in shock. She turned and looked expectantly at Ron, who cleared his throat and said in a thick voice, "Yeah . . . thanks, Dobby."

"Thanks," muttered Dean.

Harry swallowed. "Good-bye, Dobby,"

Bill raised his wand, and the pile of earth beside the grave rose up into the air and fell neatly upon it, a small, reddish mound.

"D'you mind if I stay here a moment?" Harry asked the others.

They murmured words he did not catch; he felt gentle pats upon his back, and then they all traipsed back toward the cottage, leaving Harry alone beside the grave. He looked around: There were a number of large white stones, smoothed by the sea, marking the edge of the flower beds. He picked up one of the largest and laid it, pillowlike, over the place where Dobby's head now rested. He then felt in his pocket for a wand.

He pulled out three wands, staring in amazement at them for a moment. When Harry stood up again, the stone read:

HERE LIES DOBBY, A FREE ELF.

Harry returned to the small cottage to find only Bill and Fleur seated at the kitchen table over mugs of tea. Presumably everyone else had gone to bed.

"I need to speak to Griphook and Ollivander," Harry said.

"No," said Fleur. "You will 'ave to wait, 'Arry. Zey are both ill, tired —"

"I'm sorry," he said without heat, "but it can't wait. I need to talk to them now. Privately — and separately. It's urgent."

"Not tonight, Harry." Bill answered in a tone that made it clear that further argument was out of the question. "Go to bed. We'll all talk in the morning."

Harry stared at him for a long moment before nodding in resignation.

"Second door on the left." Bill pointed up the stairs.


	52. Chapter 50

Despite how late she had been awake the night before, Luna awoke a little after six.

There was no baby stirring in pre-awakening in the crib. There wasn't even a crib.

There was another bed in the room, where Hermione Granger breathed softly and deeply.

Luna had never felt so alone in her life.

She stared into the darkness in the direction of the ceiling, wondering if Caelum was awake. If Draco had nightmares last night. How badly the Dark Lord had punished everyone for letting Harry Potter escape.

As light began to seep into the room, she sighed. Giving up on going back to sleep, she tiptoed down to the kitchen. She made herself tea in silence, then took it outside to sit on the cliff, looking up at the purples and peaches and magentas of the lightening sky.

As the vivid hues faded into soft blue, she heard an indiscriminate sound and turned to find Bill behind her.

"Everything all right?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Come inside and tell us about it." he said, gesturing back toward the house with his head.

She followed him into the cottage, only to find herself flung against the wall as she entered the kitchen. Ron's left arm across her shoulders kept her pinned in place while his right arm grabbed her left one and held it up.

"No mark." he murmured, sounding genuinely surprised.

"Luna is not one of them." Harry said from behind him.

"You were there!" Ron protested. "She wasn't in the cellar with the other prisoners. She came in the room holding Malfoy's hand. She stood with them!"

"Malfoy didn't identify us!" Harry argued. "Luna was unarmed! Malfoy protected Luna! He gave me . . . " He trailed off, pulling a wand out of his pocket. "Bill, can you check this? See if there is a tracking spell or something on it?"

Bill drew his own wand, waving it over the wand Harry held while murmuring enchantments. "It's clean." the redhead pronounced. "No spells on it at all that I can detect."

Harry handed the wand to Luna.

"Wait." Bill shook his head. "One of the Malfoys _gave_ you Luna's wand?"

Harry nodded.

Bill gestured at the table. "Everyone sit." Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Luna assembled around the table. Fleur placed a tray of tea and pastries on the table and took a seat as well. "From the beginning." Bill nodded at Harry.

"When we were brought to Malfoy Manor, Hermione had put a stinging hex on me to distort my face. They weren't sure it was me. The snatchers, and Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, that is." He swallowed, looking over at Luna before turning back to Bill. "They brought Draco Malfoy down to identify us. He knew it was me, but he wouldn't tell them. They sent him to get Luna. She didn't identify us either. Then Bellatrix Lestrange saw one of the snatchers had the Sword of Gryffindor. She became ... nearly hysterical. She ordered for Ron and me to be taken to the dungeon with the other prisoners. We asked the goblin to tell her the sword was fake and he did. But Bellatrix tortured Hermione. We were able to get Peter Pettigrew's wand and came back upstairs. We got into a duel with the Malfoys and Bellatrix. Bellatrix held a knife to Hermione's throat and ordered Draco to take the wands we were holding. Dobby came and created a diversion by dropping the chandelier. I went to take the wands Draco had in his hand, but he showed me that he had Luna's wand in his sleeve, so I took it too. He pushed Luna toward us and shouted at Dobby not to take her, but he told her to go. I asked him to come with us, but he whispered 'I can't.' And then we came here."

Bill nodded. "My father said a few weeks ago he thought Draco Malfoy was being forced to serve the Dark Lord. That he wasn't there willingly."

"I thought Malfoy had changed, when he wouldn't identify us." Ron shook his head. "But he wouldn't leave the Death Eaters."

"It's not the Death Eaters he wouldn't leave." Luna said softly. "He stayed behind to protect someone else. It's probably the bravest thing he's ever done."

"Tell us what you know." Bill instructed.

Luna looked around the group at the table. "The first thing I have to tell you is that there are some secrets that aren't mine to tell. If you knew these things, it would be much easier for you to understand that I was really treated well at the Manor."

"What in the bloody hell are you talking about?" Ron spluttered. "They're Death Eaters! They don't deserve for you to keep their secrets!"

"Zey may have treated you weel, but not zat boy in zer!" Fleur pointed angrily toward the other room. ""e's been assaulted, and ze ol' man was almos' dead!"

"There are human beings in Malfoy Manor." Luna answered. "Not all of them are Death Eaters. Even of the ones who are, not all of them chose that life, but some were forced into it. I did not share any of your secrets with them, and by the same token, I ask that you understand that some things I learned during my time there are really none of your business."

"Of course they're our business!" Hermione insisted. Her voice was still hoarse, probably from the screaming the previous night.

Bill held up his hand. "We don't know what kind of secrets she is talking about, and therefore it's not our place to say whether or not they're our business." He turned to Luna. "But you do understand. We're in the middle of a war. Thousands if not millions of lives are at stake. You have to ask yourself if the secrets you keep are more important than innocent people."

Luna smiled at him. "I'm glad you understand. I can assure you that the secrets I am referring to are not the type of things that would influence the war." She looked around at the others. "I wasn't treated badly. The reason I was taken was to ensure my father's cooperation as far as The Quibbler was concerned. I had a trace placed on me so I couldn't wander far, and the wards would not allow me to leave the grounds. I was allowed free roam of the house and gardens, but I spent most of my time in the nursery..."

"Nursery?" Hermione asked in surprise.

"Yes, there is a toddler in the house. I was brought out of the dungeon to take care of him." Luna replied nonchalantly.

"They made you their babysitter?" Harry was astonished.

"Oh I didn't mind. He's a very sweet child, and it gave me something to do. As time went on, I actually became quite attached. He doesn't have a mother ..."

"They probably killed her." Ron muttered.

Luna ignored him and continued her story. "so I became his mother figure. He calls me Mummy. I miss him terribly." she looked sad for a moment. "It also put me into proximity that I spent quite a bit of time talking with Draco Malfoy. His room was next to mine, and I was the only one in the house close to his age." she paused, looking around at the group. "I can't tell you the reasoning behind it, but please trust me when I say that he is not our enemy. He is a victim in all that has happened. We need to get Caelum out of there. That's the baby. As well as Draco and his mother."

"I've always known you were bloody well mental, but seriously, Luna?" Ron was shouting. "Draco Malfoy is not our enemy? Have you not seen the way he's acted, oh, forever?"

"Please trust me, Ronald." Luna said in the same tone of voice she had spoken before. "If I could tell you I would. But he's very ... he's been through some unspeakably horrible things. They've made them who he is now. He has been forced to do a lot of things he never wanted to do. Anyone who has been through what he has would be damaged in some way. He's not an evil person at heart."

"He could have killed Dumbledore, but he didn't." Harry reminded them quietly.

"But he nearly killed Katie and me!" Ron snapped back. "He let the Death Eaters into Hogwarts! He's responsible for what happened to Bill!"

"I can't begin to tell you how much he regrets all of it." Luna assured softly. "And you have no idea the things that happened to him in the last two years. I ..." she trailed off, as if unsure of what to tell them.

"Luna, would you trust him with your life?" Harry asked calmly.

"My life has been in his hands for months, and I'm still here." she responded.

"What if they're planning a trap to lure you out to recapture you?" Hermione asked.

"We had a plan. Draco and I were going to take the child and escape on Thursday." Luna answered. "We were trying to convince Narcissa to come with us and possibly Rab Lestrange. We were going to leave the country."

"What if they come here?" Ron asked. "What if they can still follow this trace on Luna and the Death Eaters come after us?"

Bill turned to Luna sharply. "How old are you?"

"Seventeen." she replied, frowning.

"If there's a trace on her, it's only a household one." Bill assured the group. "It won't work outside the premises of Malfoy Manor. And if by some chance the Death Eaters did track them here, the house is under a fidelius charm. They won't be able to get into the house."

"We have to go back for Draco and Caelum." Luna said urgently.

"No." Harry answered firmly. "I have to talk to the goblin and Ollivander. I think they have the information that is the key to defeating You Know Who."

"Draco could help us." Luna insisted. "The Dark Lord has been training him for two years. He's one of the high council. And if Rab..."

"Dumbledore didn't give them this mission." Harry argued. "He gave it to us. And besides, it would be suicide to go back to Malfoy Manor now. _He_ is furious. He's beyond furious. He tortur..." he trailed off, at Luna's widened eyes and distressed look.

"He tortured them." Luna repeated. "Because we left."

Hermione and Ron both looked at Harry.

"You know something." Luna murmured.

Harry sighed. "He Who Must Not Be Named and I have a connection. Through my scar, somehow. Sometimes I can see things he does." He looked at the at the table before facing her again. "He tortured them. Draco, Lucius, Narcissa, and Bellatrix. They're all right. They're all alive."

"For the moment." Luna bit back a sob. "You don't know what life is like around there right now. He's becoming more and more unstable. He killed one of his own men during a Death Eater meeting a few weeks ago, and turned some of them on each other a week or so later, _in the house_, which left one dead and two almost dead."

"I'm sorry Luna." Harry shook his head. "We've got to focus our efforts on defeating You Know Who right now."

She looked at Bill.

He sighed. "I can talk to some of the Order members. But Malfoy Manor is one of the most protected facilities in all of the country. Not just anyone can get in there. I don't know how many of our side would be wiling to risk their lives for Draco Malfoy. Honestly, If Malfoy and Lestrange want out, they're probably best to try to get out on their own."

Luna stood. "I know someone who will help Draco. I have to go."

"Luna, please." Bill rose as well. "Let's give it twenty four hours. See if they manage to get out on their own. All of you have been through quite an ordeal. Let's take today to rest and recover. Let's wait until tomorrow and think things through, rather than doing something rash." He looked around the table. "All of you."

Harry huffed and Luna bit her lip, but all four teenagers nodded.

* * *

><p>Draco spent the morning with a boy who clutched his dragon and cried for his mummy.<p>

"Now I understand why she said I was never leaving you for five days again." he sighed, pacing another lap across the nursery floor.

Caelum refused to eat more than a few bites of his lunch. When Draco tried to put him down for his nap, he cried and pointed to the bedroom door. Sighing, the father took him in the bedroom and laid on the bed with him.

Caelum snuggled into Luna's pillow. "Muh - meeeeeee." he whined pitifully.

"I know." Draco whispered, his own tears threatening again.

Caelum finally cried himself to sleep. Draco laid beside him, unable to summon the energy or inclination to move.

There was a soft pop of an elf arriving in the nursery.

"Rinka?" Draco whispered loudly.

"Yes Master Draco." she tiptoed into the bedroom.

He sat up in a flash. "Did you deliver the letters?" he asked eagerly.

The elf's eyes filled with tears, and he saw there was an envelope in her hand. "Rinka take letter to Healer Ferguson. He said he come later this afternoon." She looked down at the letter she still held.

"You didn't find Dobby?" Draco asked hoarsely.

"Rinka find Dobby's grave." she wailed. "On beach in Cornwall. Rinka look for Missy Luna but not find."

The tears spilled over and flowed down Draco's cheeks. "Are the others dead?"

"Only one grave. Made by wizard. Lots of footprints. Different sizes. Much lot of magic there. Harry Potter have friends there. Friends help Harry Potter and Missy Luna get away."

Draco nodded, laying back down and pulling his son against his chest.

"We'll find her." He whispered.

* * *

><p>AN - Fidelius Charm - why Bill has to come outside and get them, and why Rinka didn't see the house.


	53. Chapter 51

At three o'clock that afternoon, Healer Ferguson arrived via the main floo to Malfoy Manor.

Rab Lestrange was the first one to enter the room. "What are you doing here?" he frowned.

The healer frowned back. "I have an appointment for Caelum's checkup this afternoon."

"Draco didn't mention it." Rab narrowed his eyes at the man.

"We made the appointment last week." Ferguson shrugged. "The evening I was here to check on Draco when he was injured. It's time for Caelum's regular checkup we do every three months." The healer looked around, noting the absence of the Malfoys. "Is today not a good time?"

"Wait here." Rab sighed.

He left the room, leaving Dimpy to watch their guest. He returned a few minutes later and gestured for Ferguson to follow him.

"Apparently Draco forgot to mention it with everything that's gone on." Rab led the healer up to the nursery.

"Oh." Ferguson looked at him curiously. "No one is unwell, are they?"

"Oh. No. Nothing like that." Rab shook his head. "It's just been ... eventful ... this week."

They reached the nursery. Rab knocked on the door, then opened it a crack. Draco was sitting in the floor with Caelum, who looked up hopefully, calling out "Mummy?" .

"Ferguson?" Draco looked up in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Caelum's checkup." the healer held up his bag. "When I was here to see you last weekend we set it up for today." He frowned. "It is the thirtieth."

Draco's shoulders slumped. "Merlin. I'm sorry. I forgot."

"It's fine." Ferguson shrugged. "If today isn't good, I can come back Friday or one day next week."

"No, no. Today is fine." Draco stood, lifting the child who was starting to cry.

"I'll just leave you to carry on. Draco, send an elf for me if you need me." Rab waved and backed out of the room.

Draco counted to ten and then handed Ferguson a note that said "Silence the room." Once he had done so, Draco said "I need your help."

* * *

><p>Harry, Ron, and Hermione insisted on speaking with the goblin when the breakfast meeting broke up. Or rather, Harry insisted on speaking with him, and dragged Ron and Hermione into the room with him.<p>

Luna went in and sat with Mr. Ollivander for a while, remembering the days when it was just the two of the in the dungeon at Malfoy Manor, before Dean had been brought in and then she had been taken upstairs. She left him to rest, assured that Fleur was taking good care of him and he would soon be making wands again.

She ate a sandwich in relative silence with Bill and Fleur. As they finished, the trio came out of the small bedroom.

"We want to speak to Mr. Ollivander next." Harry informed Bill.

"Geef 'im a bit." Fleur told them. "'e jus' feel asleep."

Harry nodded, and the three of them sat at the table. Luna excused herself and walked out onto the beach.

She sat down, facing the waves, wondering what Draco and Caelum were doing now.

"Luna." Ron sat down beside her. "Look." he didn't meet her eyes. "I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean that you had gone and intentionally turned on us. I just ... you didn't act like I expected you to ... They could have done something to you, you know, imperiused you or tricked you somehow... "

She shook her head. "Just because I can see the Death Eaters as human beings with strengths and flaws does not mean I embrace the Dark Lord's theology." she sighed. "There are so very many shades of gray between black and white."

"We've known each other since we were little kids, Luna." he said, staring across the waves. "I don't want to see you get hurt. Don't go after Malfoy."

"I can't turn my back on him and leave him with the Death Eaters any more than you could if it was Hermione."

He nodded.

"Ron!" Harry called from the door.

He stood, shrugging sheepishly. "Gotta get back to saving the world."

Ron walked back toward the cottage.

"Me too." Luna whispered.

She spent most of the afternoon there on the beach. Dean came out and sat with her a while. He didn't speak, too wrapped up in his own emotions. That was all right.

That night at dinner, Harry announced that he, Ron, and Hermione would be leaving first thing in the morning.

"There's no need to get up to see us off." he informed them. "Actually, the less you know about where we're going and what we're doing, the better."

"Do you need anything?" Bill offered.

"Do you have another tent we can borrow?" Harry asked, looking at the others. Ron and Hermione both shook their heads, Ron adding "Just wish us luck."

"I'll be leaving in the morning as well." Luna said softly.

"Where will you go?" Bill asked.

"Hogwarts." Luna shrugged.

"They will be looking for you." Bill shook his head. "You don't have to go. You can stay here for now."

"I need to feel like I'm doing something." she looked at him determinedly. Bill and Harry both nodded. "Are you coming?" she asked Dean.

"No." he shook his head, looking down at his plate. "I'm just not ready to ... I'm going to stay here for a few more days, helping Fleur with Mr. Ollivander. Then I don't know. I may go home to my mother for a bit. Bill said they would have someone check on my family, make sure they're not being watched by the Death Eaters first."

Several of the group nodded at his words, and dinner continued on in awkward silence.

Luna went upstairs afterward, laying on the bed and again wondering what Caelum and Draco were doing.

It was much later that Hermione came to the room. Luna pretended to be asleep, and Hermione pretended she didn't notice Luna was faking, so there weren't any more awkward conversations.

When Luna awoke the next morning, the trio was already gone.

Bill and Fleur again told her that she was welcome to stay, but saw her off with hugs and packed her a lunch.

She apparated by herself for the first time, to a spot just outside Hogsmeade, disillusioned herself, and hiked to the Forbidden Forest. The first two secret passages she tried had been blocked off, but the third one allowed her into the school. She stayed hidden in the alcove behind a statue on the third floor. There was no longer a three headed dog there, but most students still avoided the place on the chance it had been replaced with something worse.

She reached into her pocket, taking out the coin Bellatrix Lestrange hadn't bothered to take from her in the dungeon. "What's she going to spend it on, down here?" the evil woman had cackled.

She tapped it with her wand, sending the message to Neville. Moments later, the coin warmed in her hand. She held it up, and read the edge.

"DA Headquarters, of course."

She slipped out of the alcove, keeping to the back stairs and little used passages until she reached the seventh floor. When the doors opened, she found not only Neville, but several members of the DA inside. Neville threw his arms around her, swinging her off the ground, while the others crowded around, giving her a hero's welcome.

She filled them in on the events of the past two days, how she had been rescued from Malfoy Manor by Dobby, who died in the process. That Harry, Ron, and Hermione had information they thought was the key to defeating You Know Who. That the three had gone off on a secret quest that very morning.

She didn't tell them about Draco and Caelum, other than to say Draco was being kept in the Manor against his will and wanted away from the Death Eaters. She just couldn't talk about it right now. Her heart hurt too much.

She did pull Neville aside, and ask about patrols and security after dark. When Neville asked why, she told him there was someone in the school she needed to speak with.

"Who?" Neville asked. "I'll find them and bring them here."

She shook her head. "His loyalty is to Draco. I need him to help Draco."

"One of the Slytherins, then?" he asked, looking rather put out.

"Yes." Luna smiled blandly.

"I'm not taking a chance on bringing one of them here." Neville shook his head. "Are you sure you can trust this person?"

"Yes."

* * *

><p>Caelum was even more distraught the second day without his mummy. He cried off and on, and clung to Draco as if his life depended on it. Draco held him, taking a small measure of comfort from his son's presence.<p>

As he and Caelum lay in the bed that afternoon, Caelum taking him nap and Draco trying his hardest to keep his mind blank, a ball of light came through the window. Draco jumped to his feet, fumbling for his wand before realizing Potter had it. He was judging the distance to the desk, wondering if he could get to the knife, when the light began to take form. Once the transformation was complete, the animal spoke softly.

"She is in the place a seeker shall find."


	54. Chapter 52

Neville sneaked out of the room from time to time. He checked on the students still in the dorms, getting the latest goings on in the school and bringing back with him anyone who needed to hide. Most of the fugitive students stayed in the Room of Requirement all the time, not leaving except to go through the secret passage to Hog's Head for food.

It was quite lovely, having friends around all the time after being lonely for so long.

Except that none of them were who she really wanted to be with.

* * *

><p>Snape came into McGonagall's classroom as her last group of the day filed out. When all the students were gone, he waved his wand to close, lock, and silence the door.<p>

"I fear the timetable for the attack on the school shall be moved forward." he drawled. "When it begins, we must get the Slytherin students out first."

The old woman spluttered in indignation. "Students are students, Severus! Just because they're your house..."

He held up his hand. "The Dark Lord has given instruction that any Slytherins who do not join his side are to be killed or imperiused."

Her eyes widened and her mouth rounded in surprised. She simply nodded her answer.

* * *

><p>The Dark Lord had been gone all day, Rod and Rab with him. They returned just after sundown.<p>

Voldemort was already furious. Apparently he had hidden something, which Harry Potter had found and taken.

It got worse.

The Death Eaters stationed in Diagon Alley arrived half an hour later, reporting that Harry Potter and company had broken into the Lestrange vault at Gringotts. They weren't sure what had been taken.

Bella and the Malfoys were called downstairs. Voldemort demanded to know if any of them had told Potter and friends that something was hidden in Bella's vault. He replayed Narcissa's memory of the night of the escape again, realizing that Bella had asked Granger repeatedly when they had been to her vault, what else had been taken, and had basically said the Sword of Gryffindor was in her vault.

Draco had no idea what saved her life that night.

After torturing her for what seemed like hours, Voldemort send them all back to their quarters. He took Rod and Rab again, and went to Gringotts.

He returned several hours later, having sent out a mass summons. Rab sneaked up to Draco's room to walk down with him.

"He slaughtered everyone in Gringotts. Including Travers." Rab informed him conspiratorially.

"Travers?" Draco frowned. "What did he do?"

"Rather what he didn't do." Rab rolled his eyes. "Apparently Potter and his friends broke in disguised as Bellatrix and a Death Eater. Instead of tipping off the goblins, or, say, _us_, Travers went and hid. He had no idea why."

"How did they get in?" Draco asked. "Or better yet, how did they get out?"

"The goblin we had in the dungeon helped them." Rab snorted. "He's dead too, by the way. As for how they got out, they stole the damn dragon!"

Draco's mouth actually dropped open on that one. "They stole the dragon? How?"

"That's what no one has quite figured out." Rab shrugged. "They had to have been planning this for months."

"Absolutely." Draco agreed.

The conversation ended as they had reached the bottom of the stairs. Probably every Death Eater in the country was assembled in the Malfoy drawing room.

Voldemort stood and addressed the group.

"Harry Potter has come out of hiding. He is attempting to steal my personal collection of dark artifacts in order to try to equal my power. However, he is foolish, because I have forgotten more about magic than Harry Potter has ever learned. In addition, there are very few of his friends left to hide him. They have been systematically tracked and eliminated like the vermin they are. Now, Harry Potter shall suffer the same fate. I want him brought to me alive, along with any items in his possession, no matter how common they may seem." He looked around at the group. "Any sympathy or complaisance shown to Potter and his friends that allows them to escape will not be tolerated. I have already executed one traitor tonight. I shall not hesitate to execute any others."

There were shouts of agreement and enthusiasm from around the room before the Dark Lord dismissed them to begin their mission.

* * *

><p>Neville and several other DA members returned that evening whooping with excitement.<p>

"Harry broke into Gringotts! He, Ron and Hermione escaped on a dragon! He Who Must Not Be Named is livid!"

There was a celebration among the exiles, believing that now that Harry had resurfaced, victory was imminent.

Winky popped into the Room of Requirement and went straight to Luna.

"I have a letter for Missy Luna." she announced.

"Who's it from?" Neville demanded, reaching for the envelope.

Winky jumped out of his reach. "No one must touch but Missy Luna."

Luna's heart pounded in a mixture of longing and trepidation.

"Who is it from?" Neville asked again, his voice softer and directed at Luna.

"Draco." she answered, even before the elf held out the envelope with the familiar seal set in green wax.

"What have you done?" he cried. "You told him where you were? Don't you know the Death Eaters will be coming for us now?"

"No!" she shook her head. "I haven't been in contact with him. I was afraid to. Afraid he would be punished if anyone found out."

"Rinka bring letter to Winky, Rinka say not tell anyone ever at all where Missy Luna." Winky informed them.

"He obviously knows you're in the castle." Neville huffed. "Who would have told him?"

"I think I know." a hint of a smile played around her lips. "But it's okay. I trust him."

She took the letter with a shaking hand and went to sit in a corner and read it alone.

_Luna,_

_Be in the alley behind Honeydukes on Friday the 2nd at 6pm. If I can get out of the house, Caelum and I will meet you there and we will leave the country that night. If I can't get away, Ferguson will bring Caelum. Keep him safe until I can come to you._

_I love you._

_Draco_

She sat there for a long while, just staring at the letter. In a little more than 24 hours, she would have at least part of her family back.

She hoped that whatever else Harry and his friends had planned was dramatic enough to allow Draco to escape with Caelum. She didn't want to think how it would affect him to have to give up his son.

Neville wandered over to sit beside her.

"How do you plan to get to this Slytherin to ask for his help?" Neville asked. "Can you get into their common room?"

"I don't need to see him." Luna smiled.

"But I thought Malfoy needed his help."

"Oh, yes, he does." Luna smiled. "But if he's already told Draco I'm here, he's already helping him."

"How do you know he's the one who told Draco?" Neville frowned. "How does he even know you're here?"

"He always has to know who's in the school." Luna shrugged, getting up and going to look for something to eat.


	55. Chapter 53

A/N - Oops. Draco's note in the previous chapter should have said 6pm. Now it does. ;)

* * *

><p>Reports had the dragon heading north from Gringotts, so most of the forces were sent that direction.<p>

Draco was sent to oversee Crabbe and Goyle in the search of the area around Hogwarts. They poked around Hogsmeade and the Forbidden Forest, not finding anything out of the ordinary.

He forced himself not to think about the fact Luna was in the castle. Because if he had, he would have stormed the place to find her, and it wasn't time to set his plan in motion yet.

Shortly after midnight, something set off the alarm in Hogsmeade. They raced to the scene, only to be informed by those already there that it was simply Aberforth Dumbledore's cat.

Draco turned to leave, but for a second, his eyes locked with the old man's gaze. Draco saw the same knowledge he had seen in the Albus Dumbledore's eyes.

Aberforth Dumbledore knew much more than he was telling.

* * *

><p>Shortly after midnight, a pretty girl had appeared in the painting in the Room of Requirement. She had beckoned to Neville, who climbed into a hidden passage behind the portrait.<p>

He returned a bit later with three familiar figures dragging behind him.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

The roar in the room must have been heard all over the castle.

* * *

><p>By 2:30, Goyle was dragging his feet. Crabbe was whining about being hungry. Draco went back to Hogsmeade to confer with Yaxley, who was leading the search of the town.<p>

Yaxley hadn't seen anything worth reporting. They discussed the possibility that Potter and company had parted from the dragon shortly after leaving Gringotts and had never actually gone north.

Draco dismissed his trainees for the night, and told Yaxley he was going to check one other possibility, some place he knew that Potter had ties to, even though Draco suspected the lead would be no more useful than any of the others thus far.

He apparated to Cornwall and spent an hour looking for the stretch of beach Rinka had described. There was a little patch of garden, as if the accompanying house had just vanished. More likely, it was disillusioned or hidden by wards and protective enchantments.

Even if the house was there, Draco knew somehow that Potter wasn't there. He wouldn't have stayed.

Draco knelt by the fresh grave, brushing his fingers over the letters on the stone. He broke off a sprig of basil from a nearby plant and transfigured into a rose, leaving it on the dirt.

He shoved the heels of his hands against his eyes, angrily brushing away the tears, as he stood. He had the feeling of being watched. He turned all the way around, but didn't see anyone.

Luna had been there. He could feel it in his soul. But she wasn't there now.

Shoving his hands into his pockets, he walked back down to the beach and apparated back to Hogsmeade.

Bill Weasley stepped back from the window, allowing the curtain to fall back into place.

* * *

><p>Just before 2am, Ginny and the Weasley twins arrived through the portrait, having gotten Neville's message that Harry had returned.<p>

Harry told the group in the Room of Requirement that they were looking for an object. He didn't know what it was, or where it was hidden, but it would be something valuable to a Ravenclaw.

Luna and Cho told him about Rowena Ravenclaw's lost diadem. Unfortunately, no one knew exactly when or where it had been lost. Luna offered to take him to Ravenclaw Tower to show him what he was looking for, the replica of the diadem on Rowena Ravenclaw's statue. They pulled out the Marauder's Map, and found that someone apparently knew they were in the castle, or just decided not to leave anything to chance.

There were teachers and Death Eaters on every floor.

A heated discussion began over whether or not Harry could safely make it to the Ravenclaw common room under his invisibility cloak, and even whether there was any point to just going to look at a replica something they couldn't find anyway.

Somewhere in the discussion, Harry fell to his knees, clutching his forehead.

Everyone else was shocked into silence.

"He knows." Harry finally gasped to Ron and Hermione. "He knows the ring is gone. He knows we have the cup."

"He'll go check on the locket and whatever is here." Hermione nodded.

Waiting was no longer an option. Luna drew a quick sketch of the diadem so they would know what they were looking for.

Harry and Luna set out for Ravenclaw Tower under the invisibility cloak. A few minutes later, Fred and George set out through a secret passageway to conduct their own search. Ron and Hermione left a few minutes after that, headed to the library to check the restricted section. Neville and Seamus headed out to search as well.

They all returned to the room at dawn, unsuccessful. While they were gone, Remus Lupin had joined the group in the room.

"We're on the right track." Harry informed them. "The Carrow twins were guarding the entrance to the tower. We had to confound them to get past."

"But we searched everywhere in the tower, and there's no sign of it." Luna frowned. "If it was in the tower, surely, at some point over all these years, someone would have found it."

"If I was Snakeface, and I had something hidden at Hogwarts, I'd put it somewhere that most people couldn't get to. I'm betting it's in Snape's office." Ron suggested.

Lupin agreed. "But right now, you're tired and not thinking clearly. Get a little rest, and then we'll work on the plan to break into Snape's office."

* * *

><p>Draco returned to the Manor as the sun cleared the horizon. Instead of returning upstairs immediately, he went to the study and helped himself to a glass of his father's best brandy.<p>

Rab came in, pouring himself a drink.

"You need to get some rest." his uncle said.

"You too." Draco blew out his breath, not in hostility, but just resignation and exhaustion.

"Yeah. But I get the feeling you're avoiding going upstairs." Rab raised an eyebrow at him.

"Wouldn't you?" Draco sighed.

"Yeah."

They both stared at nothing for a few moments.

"Chin up, Little Dragon." Rab smiled sadly a few minutes later. "Let's just get through this. Find Potter and his friends or make a good show of trying. Appease the Dark Lord. Then he'll let you go find your girl. As long as she's still pregnant, she won't be punished too badly. And you, pardon the pun, are his fair haired boy, so he'll grant you a little more leeway than he would most others. Especially if you're the one to deliver Potter to him."

Draco still studied the toe of his boot. "Do you ever think about getting out of here?"

Rab shook his head. "They would never let us leave. Not you and me. Maybe some mouthy little piss ant, like that new recruit, what's his name, McLaggen? They _might_ let him leave. Probably not, the Dark Lord would probably kill him in front of us to make his point. But you and me, they would never stop looking for us. We'd spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders. And that's no way to live." He threw his head back and killed his drink.

"We live that way now." Draco scowled.

"You're right. We do." Rab put his empty glass on the desk and tugged on Draco's arm. "Come on, let's go to bed. You're starting to sound like Rod."

* * *

><p>Some hours later, Harry woke with a cry, clutching his forehead.<p>

Everyone else was shocked into silence.

"He knows." Harry finally gasped to Ron and Hermione. "He knows we have the locket."

"He'll come here next." Hermione nodded.

"We have to get the students out." Lupin shook his head grimly.

The distress call was officially sent to the Order of the Phoenix.

* * *

><p>Draco woke to a burning in his left arm, convinced he had only just closed his eyes.<p>

He had, however, apparently gotten a few hours sleep because there was a lunch tray under a warming charm waiting for him.

He dressed as quickly as he could, slipping out the bedroom doorway into the hall. The high council was gathering in the dining room.

"Harry Potter must be stopped." Voldemort informed them. "Immediately. He will be headed to Hogwarts if he is not there already." He looked around the room. "We will collect any and all available allies and attack at dusk. The reward for bringing Harry Potter to me, alive, with whatever possessions of mine he may be carrying, will be one million galleons."

He looked to his youngest general. "Draco, you will still go to the school and lead the Slytherins from within. Everyone else will come with me. We will assemble the troops in the forest outside Hogsmeade."

He began to drone on about battle strategies. Draco listened carefully, mentally taking notes as to where everyone would be. Because he had no intention of being there with them.


	56. Chapter 54

On Friday afternoon, Draco packed one change of clothing for himself, Caelum, and Luna, an extra sippy cup, and two small toys in a pouch with an Undetectable Extension charm, stuffing it into an inside cloak pocket. He looked sadly at the rocking horse, knowing they couldn't risk taking it. It would be noticed missing too easily, and they needed the head start.

He carefully measured out the potion that would make his son lethargic and listless and poured it into Caelum's sippy cup. He cast the glamour to create a large bruise on the child's head, and called Rinka to ask his mother to call Ferguson.

Narcissa brought Ferguson in a few moments later.

He walked over to the crib and briefly looked at Caelum. "Yes, he definitely looks like he needs to go to St Mungos." the healer winked at Draco.

Draco lifted his son and his dragon, following the healer and his mother down the stairs. When they reached the bottom, Narcissa turned left and headed back toward her wing. Ferguson and Draco, carrying Caelum, turned to the right and headed toward the floo. A figure stepped out of the shadows.

"What have we here?" Selwyn asked.

"My son fell out of his crib and struck his head." Draco answered. "The healer came and advised us to take him to St Mungos."

"Is that a fact?" Selwyn asked. He said "Finite incantatem." and the bruise disappeared.

Draco held his breath, not daring to look at Ferguson.

"Because I think you're making a run for it, Draco." Selwyn slowly began pushing up his left sleeve. "You're the traitor. You're in elbows deep with Potter, aren't you?" he taunted, his hand hovering over the Dark Mark. "You got my best friend killed, you and your little friends. I'm going to return the favor. I'm going to turn you in, and then he'll kill you. And your friend here. And your kid."

"No!" an unfamiliar voice screamed. A figure rushed from the shadows to stand between Selwyn and Draco.

"Amanda?" Ferguson hissed in shock.

"That wasn't the deal!" the woman shrieked at Selwyn, nearly hysterical. "I turn in the traitor and you give me the baby!"

He sneered at her. "You should know better than to do business with a Death Eater."

"Amanda, what have you done?" Ferguson cried.

"He's going to be ours!" she turned to face her husband. "You love him! You talk about him all the time!"

"You can't just take someone else's child!" Ferguson gestured wildly with his hands.

"He..." she pointed at Draco. "doesn't deserve the baby! He's a Death Eater!"

Draco looked from one to the other in utter disbelief.

"The baby will be ours!" she continued. "We'll take him and get out of the country. I found this beautiful place in America called Charleston, near the ocean, where they have a huge magical teaching hospital. We can go there!"

"You have got to be ..." Ferguson began, but Selwyn cut him off.

"Enough of this!" He pressed the Dark Mark.

Amanda reached into her purse, pulling out a small version of the muggle weapon that killed Maypenny.

"Just let us take the baby and leave." she told Selwyn. "You've got your traitor."

Ferguson reached inside his cloak for his wand at the same time Selwyn grabbed for the gun.

Draco turned and dropped to his knees, hunched over Caelum, shielding his son.

There were several indistinct shouts behind him, a crackle of electricity of a spell, and then the deafening roar of the muggle weapon almost drowning out Amanda's scream.

In the heartbeat of silence that followed, he barely heard his mother say "Stupefy."

Ears ringing from the noise of the gun, Draco lifted his head, looking around cautiously. His mother stood halfway down the hall, her wand raised. No one stood behind him. Caelum whined feebly, reminding Draco of the night he was born.

Draco raised himself to his knees and turned to look behind him. Selwyn and Amanda both appeared to be stunned. Ferguson was bleeding from a wound to his chest.

"No!" Draco scrambled over to the healer, frantically grabbing the edge of the man's cloak with one hand to cover the wound while he still held his son in his other arm.

Ferguson tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace of pain instead. "I'll be okay. It's above my heart and lungs and off side from my spinal cord. Just have one of your elves get me to St Mungos."

Draco nodded frantically, but Narcissa shouted for the elves before he could speak.

Mimsy arrived first and was dispatched to take the wounded man to the hospital. She popped out with him just as Rinka and Dimpy popped in. Before they could be given instructions, a shadow fell across the group.

Voldemort had arrived.

"Draco, why are you always in the middle of the uproar?" he asked.

Draco stayed on his knees, and bowed his head. "My lord." he said. "It was Selwyn. He was the traitor."

"What do you mean?" Voldemort demanded.

Draco looked up. "They did something to my son to make him appear ill. I called the healer and was going to send him to St Mungos. Selwyn and his accomplice ambushed us at the bottom of the stairs. They tried to kill the healer, shot him with a muggle gun." he pointed at the metal object on the floor between the bodies. "They tried to take my son, to stop me from going to Hogwarts."

"You didn't want to go to Hogwarts." the Dark Lord looked from one fallen figure to the other and then to the puddle of blood on the silk carpet. "Why should I believe this story?"

Draco held up Caelum, whose head lolled as the child faintly whimpered. "Would I do this to my own child? Besides, Travers was in Gringotts with Harry Potter. We should have expected Selwyn was involved too. The two of them were the ones at the Lovegood residence when Potter made his reappearance. They've been spying for the other side all along."

Voldemort looked to the house elves. "Put them in the dungeon. We will deal with them when we get back." he addressed Draco again. "The child will be fine. Leave him with the elf and get dressed. You have to get to Hogwarts."

Draco nodded stiffly and rose to his feet.

The Dark Lord glided swiftly down the hallway.

Narcissa walked over, putting her arms around both of them. The baby had settled and was falling asleep. She kissed Caelum's cheek, and then Draco's.

"The portkey." she whispered.

He nodded, making his way upstairs.

* * *

><p>Luna stood in the alley behind Honeydukes, checking her watch for the fourth time, when a majestic owl landed on an empty crate. Luna took the letter with shaking hands. The owl flew away without waiting for a reply.<p>

_L, _

_He is attacking Hogwarts at dusk. Had to go to Plan B. Stay safe. I will bring Caelum to you when it's over, or someone else will. _

_I love you. _

_D_

She turned and headed back to the castle.

* * *

><p>Draco found himself standing outside a place he had never been, and had never thought to be in his life. The safe place that his mother had sent him. The safety net she had cultivated for herself in case she had ever needed to take young Draco and run.<p>

She told him the wards would recognize Black blood and let them through, but Draco was still surprised when the woman inside opened the door.

"Please," he begged. "I need your help."

She looked at Caelum's head on his shoulder, then at Draco's face.

"You're Cissy's son," his Aunt Andromeda said hoarsely.

"Yes," he answered. "And this is my son. The woman I love is at Hogwarts fighting with Potter's side. I need to go to her. I need her back even if my father disowns me. You're the one person who would understand."

She opened the door wider to let them in.

"What is it you need from me?" she asked.

"I have to go to Hogwarts and find Luna. The Death Eaters and especially Aunt Bella are not going to like it. I need to make sure Caelum is safe. In case one of them gets back to the Manor before Luna and I do. I can't..." he looked down at his sleeping child. "They can't hurt him."

His aunt held out her arms. "We'll just have a lovely time, your Caelum with my grandson Teddy and me, and we'll be here waiting when you get back."


	57. Chapter 55

A/N - Here I go again, merging the books and the movies and things that only happened in my warped imagination.

* * *

><p>Members of the Order of the Phoenix began trickling in through the portrait passage from Hog's Head. After consulting the Marauder's Map, Neville and Seamus were sent to bring Professor McGonagall to the room.<p>

The adults quickly decided to call all the students together and evacuate as many as possible through the passage to Hog's Head, as it was assumed that Voldemort was already assembling his forces in the forest around the school.

All the students were ordered to the Great Hall.

Harry dressed in a discarded Gryffindor robe, followed McGonagall downstairs, and fell into line with the other students.

The rest of the students in the Room of Requirement and the adults waited until they were sure everyone would be assembled downstairs before slipping out of the room, heading downstairs to wait outside the Great Hall.

* * *

><p>Draco apparated into the forest near the boathouse and found the hollow tree with the passage that led under the lake to an alcove just outside the Slytherin common room. He made his way to the blank spot on the wall, which opened without asking him for a password. One of the perks of being Draco Malfoy.<p>

The common room was deserted, as were the dorms. Students should have still been in class at this hour, but even at meal times, the dorm was never completely empty as it was now.

This could only mean one thing.

Potter knew they were coming.

Good.

* * *

><p>They stood outside the doors of the Great Hall, not quite sure what they were waiting for.<p>

When the silence was overtaken by murmurs and chattering, they took it for their signal. Kingsley Shacklebolt threw opened the doors and marched in, with the rest of the students and Order Members flanking him.

"It seems, Headmaster, despite your exhaustive efforts, you have a bit of a security problem." Harry stood in the center of the hall, facing Snape. "And it's quite extensive."

Snape raised his wand. McGongall moved quickly between the headmaster and his former student, flinging a curse which Snape blocked. The two dueled, with one of the Order members stunning the Carrows when they tried to intervene. Snape was backed to the edge of the platform, where he vanished in a puff of black smoke.

McGonagall turned, but before she could speak, a voice called out, seeming to come from everywhere and nowhere at once.

"I know that you are preparing to fight." There were screams amongst the students, some of whom clutched each other, looking around in terror for the source of the sound. "Your efforts are futile. You cannot fight me. I do not want to kill you. I have great respect for the teachers of Hogwarts. I do not want to spill magical blood."

There was silence in the Hall now, the kind of silence that presses against the eardrums, that seems too huge to be contained by walls.

"Give me Harry Potter," said Voldemort's voice, "and none shall be harmed. Give me Harry Potter, and I shall leave the school untouched. Give me Harry Potter, and you will be rewarded. You have one hour."

The silence swallowed them all again.

Every head turned, every eye in the place seemed to have found Harry, to hold him frozen in the glare of thousands of invisible beams. Then a figure rose  
>from the Slytherin table and he recognized Pansy Parkinson as she raised a shaking arm and screamed, "Potter's right there! Someone grab him!"<p>

The poor girl looked absolutely terrified.

Before Harry could speak, there was a massive movement. The Order of the Phoenix members shoved between Harry and the Slytherin students, followed by the Gryffindors. Then the Hufflepuffs moved in, and almost at the same moment, the Ravenclaws, all of them with their backs to Harry, all of them looking toward Pansy instead, and Harry, awestruck and overwhelmed, saw wands emerging everywhere, pulled from beneath cloaks and from under sleeves.

"Thank you, Miss Parkinson," said Professor McGonagall in a clipped voice. "You will leave the Hall first with Mr. Filch. If the rest of your House could follow."

Teachers and prefects tried their best to form the crowds into something resembling an orderly line and moved them out of the hall and up the stairs.

"We have just less than an hour." Kingsley Shacklebolt announced, and promptly began calling off battle stations. People volunteered, many before he even finished his sentences.

Luna was told to help escort the younger students upstairs, then report to Ravenclaw Tower with with Professor Vector and several others. They passed Harry in the hallway, studying the Marauders Map, looking utterly lost.

"Harry." she paused to speak to him. "Don't you see? No one in living memory has seen the diadem. So you must talk to someone who is dead!"

She herded first years up to the seventh floor, while Harry raced off to find The Grey Lady.

* * *

><p>Draco reached out and grabbed Crabbe and Goyle as they passed him, pulling them into the alcove near the Great Hall and then apparating all of them to his old room in the Slytherin dorm.<p>

"How did you do that?" Crabbe spluttered. "You can't apparate in Hogwarts!"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Snape has changed the wards. If you have a Dark Mark, you can."

"Oh wicked!" Crabe shouted.

Draco shook him before he could try it out. "We have things to do! Where are all the students going?"

"Room of Requirement." Goyle answered. "They're going to evacuate as many as possible through a secret passage in there into Hogsmeade."

"A secret passage to Hogsmeade?" Draco frowned.

"Why are we down here?" Crabbe asked. "We're supposed to leading the Slytherins to fight from within. You're letting the Slytherins get away!"

"Change of plans." Draco answered smoothly. "We have enough forces outside the castle. We only take the Slytherins who want to fight. No point in wasting our time and magical energy on any who don't."

"Oh. Okay." Goyle nodded.

Crabbe looked suspicious. "Are you sure?"

Draco just looked at him.

"So what do we do?" Crabbe asked.

"We go up and find the Slytherins who want to stay. We find Harry Potter and take him to the Dark Lord. And we find Luna and get her out of the castle." Draco listed off for them.

"Why is Luna here?" Goyle's eyebrows shot up.

"Why are we getting_ her_ out?" Crabbe asked, almost talking over him.

"Potter and his friends kidnapped her from the Manor the night before last. And as for why we're getting her out, it's because she's pregnant." Draco's gaze flicked from one to the other.

Crabbe locked confused. Goyle looked annoyed.

"Where is she?" Goyle asked.

"I have no idea." Draco shook his head.

"How do you know she's here?" Goyle narrowed his eyes. "Wouldn't they take her somewhere else? Why did they take her, anyway? Why not you or your mother?"

"Uncle Sev told me she was in the castle. I don't know why they brought her here. Probably to lure me out or something." Draco huffed, headed for the door.

They disillusioned themselves on Draco's instruction and slipped up the back stairs, stopping several times to look out windows. There was movement in the forest around the castle, but they were too far away to make out shapes or figures.

They were passed on the stairs several times by people rushing one way or the other, actually having to leap out of the way of Neville Longbottom and Seamus Finnegan.

When they reached the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, Draco whispered to them to get against the wall. He walked back and forth in front of the wall three times. Nothing happened. He tried again.

Still nothing.

He stopped in the middle of the corridor, mind racing, when suddenly the doors began to appear. Still disillusioned, he backed away, not sure who or what was about to leave the room. He bumped into something solid, but much softer than the wall. Crabbe.

The doors swung open, and three women came into the hall.

Weaslette, his metamorphamagus cousin, and Luna.

Draco surged forward, reaching for Luna, but two massive arms wrapped around him and held him back.

"Look." a voice hissed into his ear.

Weasley, Granger, and Potter followed them out of the room.

"Here's our chance." Crabbe whispered.

Draco could only watch as Luna walked away.


	58. Chapter 56

A/N - I posted this early this morning, but I didn't get the new chapter email. I'm presuming that others probably didn't either. So I'm deleting and reposting it, so certain people (Opaque) who are stalking this story don't hurt themselves.

* * *

><p>The Slytherins watched as Harry walked back and forth in front of the wall three times and the doors reappeared. The Gryffindors raced back inside, shouting about finding something.<p>

Draco was beginning to see the merits of the situation. He could get his wand back from Potter, then leave Crabbe and Goyle to take the trio to Voldemort while he went in search of Luna.

Because Draco had no doubt that Crabbe and Goyle would never make it off the seventh floor with Potter.

They waited for two full minutes before Draco activated the doors again. He dropped the disillusionment charm, and his sidekicks followed suit. He silenced his feet, walking stealthily through the stacks of discarded junk. He found Potter walking toward an old statue wearing a wig and crown.

"Hold it, Potter." Draco said softly but firmly.

Potter turned slowly.

"You have something of mine, and I would like it back." Draco informed him as Crabbe and Goyle stepped out to hover at his elbows.

Potter tightened his grip on the hawthorn wand. "What's wrong with the one you have?"

"It's my mother's," Draco rolled his eyes. "It's not the same."

"Why didn't you tell them, Malfoy?" Potter asked, looking at him curiously. "Your parents and Bellatrix. You knew it was me. Why didn't you tell them?"

"What's he talking about, Draco?" Goyle whispered, leaning over his shoulder.

"Why aren't you with Voldemort?" Potter still stared straight into Draco's eyes.

"We're gonna be rewarded," said Crabbe, smiling like a small child promised a large bag of sweets. "We 'ung back, Potter. We decided not to go. Decided to bring you to 'im."

"Good plan," Potter began edging slowly backward. "So how did you get in here?"

"I virtually lived in the Room of Hidden Things all last year," Draco snorted. "I know how to get in."

"We was hiding in the corridor outside," grunted Goyle. "We can do Diss-lusion Charms now! And then," his face split into a gormless grin, "you turned up right in front of us and said you was looking for a die-dum! What's a die-dum?"

"Harry?" Ron's voice echoed suddenly from the other side of the wall to Harry's right. "Are you talking to someone?"

With a whiplike movement, Crabbe pointed his wand at the fifty-foot mountain of old furniture, of broken trunks, of old books and robes and unidentifiable junk, and shouted, "_Descendo_!"

The wall began to totter, then the top third crumbled into the aisle next door where Weasel stood.

"Ron!" Potter bellowed, as somewhere out of sight Granger screamed, and they heard innumerable objects crashing to the floor on the other side of the destabilized wall: Potter pointed his wand at the rampart, cried, "_Finite_!" and it steadied.

"No!" shouted Draco, staying Crabbe's arm as the latter made to repeat his spell. "If you wreck the room you might bury the diadem thing!"

"What's that matter?" said Crabbe, tugging himself free. "It's Potter the Dark Lord wants, who cares about a die-dum?"

"Potter came in here to get it," said Malfoy with ill-disguised impatience at the slow-wittedness of his colleagues, "so that must mean —"

_I can use it as a bargaining tool._ Draco finished in his head, watching as Potter glanced over his shoulder, judging the distance to the tiara-wearing statue.

" 'Must mean'?" Crabbe turned on Malfoy with undisguised ferocity. "Who cares what you think? I don't take your orders no more, _Draco. _You an' your dad are finished." Crabbe pointed his wand at Draco, who stared back at him with the look that used to have them cowering in intimidation.

"Harry?" shouted Weasel again, from the other side of the junk wall. "What's going on?"

"Harry?" mimicked Crabbe. "What's going — _no, _Potter! _Crucio_!"

Potter had lunged for the tiara; Crabbe's curse missed him but hit the stone bust, which flew into the air; the diadem soared upward and then dropped out of sight in the mass of objects on which the bust had rested.

"STOP!" Draco shouted at Crabbe, his voice echoing through the enormous room. "The Dark Lord wants him alive —"

"So? I'm not killing him, am I?" yelled Crabbe. "But if I can, I will, the Dark Lord wants him dead anyway, what's the diff — ?"

A jet of scarlet light shot past Potter by inches: Granger had run around the corner behind him and sent a Stunning Spell straight at Crabbe's head. It only missed because Draco saw it coming and pulled him out of the way.

"It's that Mudblood! _Avada Kedavra_!" Crabbe screamed.

Granger dove out of the way of the killing curse. Potter threw a hex at Vince, who knocked Narcissa's wand out of Draco's hand jumping aside. Goyle mostly looked confused, but raised his wand toward Potter.

"Don't kill him! DON'T KILL HIM!" Draco shouted, fighting down the panic that the situation was rapidly spiraling out of control.

"_Expelliarmus_!" Potter cried.

Goyle's wand flew out of his hand and disappeared into the bulwark of objects beside him; Goyle leapt foolishly on the spot, trying to retrieve it. Draco dodged out of range of Granger's second Stunning Spell, and Weasley, appearing suddenly at the end of the aisle, shot a full Body-Bind Curse at Crabbe, which narrowly missed.

Crabbe wheeled around and screamed, "_Avada Kedavra_!" again.

Weasel leapt out of sight to avoid the jet of green light.

Draco hit the floor, groping under a three-legged wardrobe for his mother's wand as Granger charged toward them, hitting Goyle with a Stunning Spell as she came.

To hell with all them. Draco was leaving Crabbe and Goyle to deal with Potter and company and going after Luna.

"It's somewhere here!" Potter yelled to Granger, pointing at the pile of junk into which the old tiara had fallen. "Look for it while I go and help R —"

"HARRY!" she screamed.

A roaring, billowing noise gave them a moment's warning. Draco and Potter turned and saw both Ron and Crabbe running as hard as they could up the aisle toward them.

What in the name of Merlin had the idiot done now?

"Run!" Weasel shouted. "Crabbe's set bloody place on fire!"

"Like it hot, scum?" roared Crabbe as he ran.

But he seemed to have no control over what he had done. Flames of abnormal size were pursuing them, licking up the sides of the junk bulwarks, which were crumbling to soot at their touch.

"_Aguamenti_!" Potter bawled, but the jet of water that soared from the tip of his wand evaporated in the air.

"RUN!"

Draco hadn't realized he was the one who shouted until he tasted the soot in his mouth. He grabbed the stunned Goyle and dragged him along; Crabbe outstripped all of them, now looking terrified; Harry, Ron, and Hermione pelted along in his wake, and the fire pursued them. The rounded a bend in the path, with the Slytherins taking the left fork and the Gryffindors turning right. As they turned a corner the flames chased them as though they were alive, sentient, intent upon killing them. Now the fire was mutating, forming a gigantic pack of fiery beasts: Flaming serpents, chimaeras, and dragons rose and fell and rose again, and the detritus of centuries on which they were feeding was thrown up in the air into their fanged mouths, tossed high on clawed feet, before being consumed by the inferno. They rounded another corner, and the demented flames were in front of them as well.

"Climb!" Draco hissed, trying to pull himself and Goyle up the nearest stack of junk. He held his wand with two fingers, grasping the pile of junk with the others. He pointed as best he could at Greg, shouting "Renervate!"

Goyle awoke, shaking himself, nearly pulling both of them off the bulwark. The wand fell from Draco's grasp, but he was able to pin it against a broken trunk with his knee.

"Grab hold and climb!" Draco shouted over the roar of the flames.

Goyle nodded, sinking both of his hands into the stack of junk, supporting his own weight and freeing Draco's arm to grab the wand before it fell. They climbed desperately, as Draco's mind raced, trying to figure out what they were going to do when they reached the top.

Draco looked down to check on Crabbe, who was below them. As he watched, Crabbe clutched a chair with both hands. It came loose from the stack.

"No!" Draco cried. "Vince!"

He and Goyle watched helplessly as their lifelong friend fell backwards into the mouth of a fiery serpent, his scream cut off abruptly.

Draco was never going to see Luna and Caelum again.

He and Goyle looked at each other.

"Draco ... " Greg began, breaking off, neither of them knowing what to say in that moment.

"IF WE DIE FOR THEM, I'LL KILL YOU, HARRY!" roared the Weasel's voice.

Weasley and Granger swooped in on a broom, grabbing Goyle and pulling him up onto the broom with them. The broom dropped for a heart stopping moment before Weasley managed to catch his momentum and direct them toward the doorway.

Potter swung low on his own broom, reaching for Draco.

He missed.

The pile of junk shifted precariously. Draco scrambled not to lose his balance.

Potter flew in again, as close to the stack as he dared. Draco managed to grab hold, swinging himself on behind Potter. They headed for the door, swerving and climbing to avoid the flames that seemed almost sentient.

Something seemed to grab the broom just as they reached the doorway, flinging Draco and Harry off abruptly. Draco's breath was knocked out of him, as he tumbled across the floor like a rag doll.

He was vaguely aware of Potter coming up on his knees, stabbing something with what looked like a horn. Weasel kicked whatever it was toward the room, and there was an inhuman scream. He raised his head slowly, seeing Granger and Goyle strewn across the floor, trying to catch their own breath. He looked to where the door should have been, at a blank wall.

"Crabbe." he moaned.

"He's dead." Weasel snapped.

Draco glared at him, about to make a rude comment, when the castle was rocked by a far off explosion. The group in the hall all looked at one another, realizing the battle had begun.

Draco scrambled to his feet and took off at a run.

He had to find Luna.

* * *

><p>Luna knelt in front of the window in Ravenclaw Tower, wand pointed at the sky, murmuring shield charms over and over.<p>

She had volunteered for this duty when she realized the others were blindly sending curses out toward the advancing forces. Luna couldn't do that.

She didn't know where Draco was.


	59. Chapter 57

A/N - Another update today. Because I'm nice enough not to leave you hanging tooooo much. ;)

* * *

><p>"My lord," the pitiful voice pleaded. "Surely something has happened to him. Let me just go to the castle… My son …"<p>

"If your son is dead, Lucius, it is not my fault." Voldemort almost growled. "He did not follow the plan. He did not come and join me, bringing the rest of the Slytherins. He allowed the Slytherins to escape. Obviously, allowing him the blood traitor girl was a mistake. Perhaps he has decided to befriend Harry Potter?"

"No — never," whispered Malfoy.

"You must hope not."

"Aren't — aren't you afraid, my Lord, that Potter might die at another hand but yours?" asked Malfoy, his voice shaking. "Wouldn't it be . . . forgive me . . . more prudent to call off this battle, enter the castle, and seek him y-yourself?"

"Do not pretend, Lucius. You wish the battle to cease so that you can discover what has happened to your son. And I do not need to seek Potter. Before the night is out, Potter will have come to find me." Voldemort dropped his gaze once more to the wand in his fingers. "Go and fetch Snape."

"Snape, m-my Lord?" Lucius frowned.

"Snape. Now. I need him. There is a — service — I require from him. Go."

Frightened, stumbling a little through the gloom, Lucius left the room.

Voldemort continued to stand there, twirling the wand between his fingers, staring at it. "It is the only way, Nagini," he whispered.

* * *

><p>Draco ran desperately down the stairs. Not having any idea where to look, he headed to the place where the fighting was the fiercest. He dodged curses, deflected spells, and darted past Death Eaters, teachers, and students alike.<p>

On the stairs coming down to the Great Hall someone grabbed his arm, nearly pulling it from the socket.

"There you are!" Uncle Rab shouted. "We didn't know what happened to you. We were starting to think you were dead."

Draco said the first thing that came to his mind. "Vince Crabbe is dead."

Rab nodded solemnly. "So is his father. And Flint. A lot of the others too. The Dark Lord underestimated Potter's followers and overestimated his own."

Draco looked around, seeing at least seven Death Eaters on the ground, with the ones still standing sometimes dueling two or three people at once. A flash of red light came their way, but Draco deflected it easily.

"He's not going to win this one." Draco fully realized for the first time. "But he will let us all die before he gives up."

"That's what he's trained us for, Draco." Rab smiled sadly. "To die for the cause or to make the other guy die for his own."

"Let's get out of here." Draco cried suddenly. "Help me find Luna, and we'll leave. We're going to South Africa. We'll be safe there, all of us."

"Who are you?" Rab grabbed both of Draco's arms and pulled him in until they were almost nose to nose. "Are you a Death Eater, trying to trick me so you can tell the Dark Lord I'm a traitor? Or are you on Potter's side?"

The blond shook his head. "I'm Draco. I'm on your side."

Instead of an answer, Rab collapsed into Draco's arms. Someone had stunned the Death Eater as they passed. Draco looked around in confusion, and an invisible fist punched him in the jaw, causing him to bite his tongue. Draco and his uncle both collapsed into the floor, one unconscious and one bleeding.

"And that's the second time we've saved your life tonight, you two-faced bastard!" the Weasel's voice yelled.

The damned ginger git better hope the Dark Lord killed him, because he would probably be a lot more merciful than Draco.

Draco apparated himself and Rab into the Slytherin dungeon, placed his uncle on his old bed, and disillusioned him. He then apparated himself back into the niche where he had been hiding when he found Crabbe and Goyle two hours and a lifetime ago.

He leaned his head against the wall as his breath hitched in his chest. Crabbe was dead. A boy he had known since as long as he could remember. And Rab said Flint was dead. He didn't say which one. Merlin only knew what had happened to Goyle.

They were dying for a madman. Who didn't care they were dying.

Draco would not die for him. It was time to find Luna and get out.

* * *

><p>After an hour of trying to hold the shields, Luna had become dizzy. She had to let them down, just for a moment, dropping her head between her knees.<p>

"You've done well, Lovegood." Oliver Wood patted her back encouragingly, then returned to the window.

Luna wondered absently how he knew her name.

"Get down!" Ernie MacMillan shrieked.

He, Wood, and Michael Corner dove back from the windows, with Ernie and Michael falling half on Luna.

A gaping hole appeared in the wall, accompanied by a huge boom. There was a scream, and Susan Bones disappeared through the hole.

Luna and Wood both scrambled to the hole, desperately flinging spells to stop the girl's fall.

They couldn't tell if they succeeded.

The spells now whizzed in through the breech, stunning Cho as she leaned against the wall, crying and screaming.

"Get downstairs!" Professor Vector shouted over the din.

Michael threw Cho over his shoulder and they all staggered down the stairs, Luna flinging one last shield behind them as a Death Eater apparated into the tower.

* * *

><p>Draco looked around a corner and saw Lavender Brown leaning against a wall. He quickly transfigured himself into the Ravenclaw Patil twin, and raced around the corner.<p>

"Lavender!" he shouted in what he hoped sounded like a panicked girl's voice. "Have you seen Luna?"

The blond didn't turn her head.

Draco skidded to a stop in front of her as he realized why.

She was dead. He recognized the werewolf's handiwork when he saw it.

He spun around, fighting down the urge to vomit, and was hit by a mild stinging jinx from a Death Eater. That stupid new guy, the one who didn't even have his mark yet. McLaggen. No wonder he couldn't even throw a proper dark spell.

Draco stunned the idiot, barely avoiding being knocked off his feet as another explosion rocked the castle. The battle noises from the courtyard suddenly quietened. Draco's instinct told him it was not a good thing. He ran out the front door to see the moon and stars had been blotted out.

It took a minute to realize the darkness was from more dementors than he had ever dreamed existed, all hovering side by side.

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!" went up a shout in unison, and streaks of light flew from wands, taking shapes of different animals as they chased away the dementors.

There was a horse, a boar, a goat, and a fox.

Then Draco saw something that made everything else he had seen that night fade into oblivion.

A hare patronus.

* * *

><p>"Luna!" a voice shrieked.<p>

She turned, looking for the identity of whoever had called her.

Through the throng of fighting suddenly Padma was shoving people aside with surprising strength, seemingly laughing and crying at the same time. Her housemate pushed through the crowd, grabbed Luna, threw both arms around her, and kissed her full on the mouth.

Luna's arms came up to shove Padma away, bewildered, until she _felt_ the kiss. She wrapped her arms around the other neck, kissing back with everything she had, oblivious to everything and everyone around them. When they finally broke for air, no less than fourteen students and at least three faculty members stared at them in shock. Including two Patil twins.

Luna smiled into the other face and whispered "I've missed you."


	60. Chapter 58

Draco apparated both of them into his old room in the Slytherin dorm. He instantly noticed that the indentation was missing from the bed. He cast a finite incantatem to make certain, but Rab was gone.

"Where is our baby?" Luna framed his face with both of her hands.

"He's safe." Draco smiled at her, still transfigured into Padma but speaking with his own voice. "I used the portkey. We're going to get him in a minute, and get out of the country."

"I don't think so." A voice said from the doorway. "I knew you had something going on, Draco."

Greg Goyle stood there, wand pointed at them.

"Greg," Draco sighed. "Don't you realize? The Dark Lord is not going to win this one. Get out with us while you can. He'll let you die for his cause and he won't care."

"I'm not going to die for the cause. You are." Goyle kept the wand trained on his former friend. "Because we both know how the Dark Lord feels about traitors. I'll be rewarded. Maybe I'll get to take your place." Goyle's eyes raked over Luna.

"Greg." Draco spoke as if he was still in authority.

"Don't worry." Goyle smirked. "I'll let her keep your babies, as long as the Dark Lord doesn't mind. After all, as long as I have them, I'll have the Malfoy fortune, right?"

Draco's blood ran cold, but he did his best not to show it. "You honestly think you can march me and Luna out of here without anyone trying to stop you? You'll be dead before you get past the Great Hall. And do you even know where the Dark Lord is, to be able to take us there?"

Goyle shrugged. "I have no intentions of taking you out the front doors. I don't have to find the Dark Lord, I just have to get you out of here, press my Dark Mark, and tell him I have a traitor."

"And then what?" Draco asked. "You spend the rest of your life waiting for someone to stab you in the back the way you're doing to me? Hope you don't accidentally upset the Dark Lord so you're not the next one executed over lunch like Evernham was?

"I've always been no one." Goyle shook his head. "Just your big shadow. This is my chance to be something."

"Oh boo hoo." Came a voice from behind Goyle. "This is what I hate about being a Death Eater. You're all a bunch of little drama queens. I can't even go to the loo without someone getting their knickers in a bunch before I get back."

Rab stood behind Goyle, his wand in hand. "Seriously, Dragon? You're making a run for it? You're going to walk away from everyone and everything? You honestly think you can hide?"

Draco met his uncle's gaze levelly. "It's what I have to do. For Luna and Caelum, so they will be safe from the Dark Lord. But it's also what I have to do for me."

"Sectum sempra." Rab said slowly and clearly.

Goyle collapsed at their feet, blood gushing from his back.

"Motherfucker!" he screamed. He struggled to raise himself up on his hands. "Draco, help me!" he pleaded. "Luna!"

"We've got to get out of here." Draco grabbed Luna's hand and pulled her toward the door.

"I can't move my legs!" Goyle screamed.

"Shit, I think I severed his spinal cord." Rab said in a tone of curious interest.

"Don't let him die." Luna told Rab and Draco. She pulled her hand out of Draco's, taking the bedspread off the bed and pressing the cloth to the wounds.

Draco huffed in annoyance, but sealed the wounds to stop the bleeding.

"What about my legs?" Goyle asked.

Rab shrugged. "Don't know if that can be fixed."

They walked out, leaving the Death Eater on the floor.

* * *

><p>They barely made it out of the common room when the awful voice came again.<p>

"You have fought," said the high, cold voice, "valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery. Yet you have sustained heavy losses. If you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by one. I do not wish this to happen. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste. Lord Voldemort is merciful. I command my forces to retreat immediately."

"You have one hour." Voldemort continued. "Dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured. I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to you. You have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourself. I shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest. If, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then battle recommences. This time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman, and child who has tried to conceal you from me. One hour."

"So are you coming with us?" Draco asked Rab.

His uncle shrugged. "It looks like I am."

Draco showed them to the secret passage in the dungeon. They made it all the way to the other end, only to find the exit block. The tree had been knocked down above.

"Can't blast it." Rab shook his head. "Too risky. We're underground. We could end up buried."

They turned and made their way back to the castle. They tried the secret passage Luna had come through, behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy, only to find it blocked with debris halfway through.

"Now what?" Rab asked.

"The passages at the statue of the one eyed witch and the foot of the North Tower were sealed at the beginning of the school year by Headmaster Snape." Luna informed them. "But there is the one in the Room of Requirement."

"Um, not any more." Draco rolled his eyes.

"That's how all the students were getting out." Luna frowned.

"That's why my clothes smell like smoke." Draco drawled.

"You set the Room of Requirement on fire?" Rab asked. "Did you wish for ..."

"I didn't!" Draco huffed. "It was Crabbe and the Weasel ..." He broke off, seeing Crabbe's fall into the flames again in his head.

"So we're out of secret passages?" Rab confirmed.

"We just walk out the front door." Draco smirked.

Draco and Rab disillusioned themselves. They picked their way slowly through the debris, at one point having to backtrack and re-route because the staircase had been blasted away in the center.

They reached the Great Hall, and realized that was where the dead and wounded were being gathered. Luna paused at the sight of the Weasley family all gathered over a figure.

"I have to see." she whispered to Draco desperately.

He nodded, then realized she couldn't see him. "Okay." he whispered back, taking her hand and slowly moving across the room with her.

It was one of the twins, bruised and battered. Next to him lay Draco's metamorphamagus cousin and her husband, the werewolf. Draco's former teacher, who if he would only admit it, had been much more fair to Draco than Draco ever was to him.

His Aunt Andromeda's daughter was dead. The realization gave Draco a sudden horrible choking feeling.

"We've got to get out of here and go get Caelum." he whispered urgently, tugging on her arm.

He led her through the maze of the fallen, allowing himself only a glance, because he couldn't _not_ look, but no more than that, because he couldn't bear to see, either. They had brought poor Lavender Brown's mangled body in. There was the Boot bloke from Ravenclaw, and little Creevey whom Draco had once locked in the sarcophagus on the fifth floor.

As they were still disillusioned and couldn't see one another, Draco literally ran into Rab standing over the body of the arithmancy professor.

Draco tugged on his arm to bring him along, but was met with resistance. "We've got to go!" he hissed at his uncle.

Luna slipped her arm around Rab. "There's nothing more you can do for her." she said softly. "Except live the life she would have wanted you to have."

With a choked sound, he followed them out of the room.

They were in the entrance hall, making their way toward the front doors when Voldemort's voice rang out again, this time sounding as if it were coming from the courtyard, rather than from everywhere.

"Harry Potter is dead!"

He continued on, but whatever he said next was drowned out by shrieking and crying that did seem to come from everywhere all at once.

They were shoved toward the front doors with the great throng of bodies all trying to see, to prove to themselves that the terrible words were not true. Luna's hand was wrenched from his grasp, so Draco lifted the disillusionment on himself and Rab so they could find one another again.

"This is not fucking possible." Draco murmured to himself.

"The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you, and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman, or child, will be slaughtered, as will every member of their family. Come out of the castle now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together."

Everyone spilled out of the castle, into the courtyard where the first traces of dawn lit the night, aided by the fires burning all over the grounds. Draco was stunned. He didn't realize how much time had passed.

The oaf Hagrid stood at the front of the Death Eaters, holding a limp form in his arms. A limp form with messy black hair and glasses that Millie had informed him were like that muggle musician John Somebody. It certainly looked like Harry's body.

But that couldn't be. Harry had to win. Harry always won. He's the Fucking Boy Who Just Won't Die.

It was a trick. It had to be a trick of Voldemort, trying to convince them to surrender.

"NO!"

The scream was the more terrible because he had never expected or dreamed that Professor McGonagall could make such a sound.

More screaming followed, the voices of Weasel, Granger, and Weaselette. Draco's chest tightened, and wondered for a moment if it was real, if Potter really was dead. His eyes moved over the body in Hagrid's arms.

Then he noticed the slightest twitch of Potter's finger.

The crowd began to shout and curse.

"SILENCE!" cried Voldemort, and there was a bang and a flash of bright light, and silence was forced upon them all. "It is over! Set him down, Hagrid, at my feet, where he belongs!"

"You see?" said Voldemort, striding backward and forward right beside the place where Potter lay. "Harry Potter is dead! Do you understand now, deluded ones? He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!"

He turned back to the crowd. "Now which of you will join us, and which will continue to sacrifice yourselves?" His gaze scanned the group and he almost did a double take as he spotted Draco and Rab in the midst, standing almost side by side.

The Dark Lord wasn't the only one who spotted him.

"Draco!" his father called.

Draco just stared at him, unable to move.

"Draco!" his mother hissed that time.

"Draco, there you are. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the first and best of my new generals. Draco Malfoy. He can tell you of the advantages of serving your lord faithfully." Voldemort sneered. "And the consequences if you do not." The Dark Lord held out his hand. "Come and take your rightful place at my side."


	61. Chapter 59

"Draco, there you are. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the first and best of my new generals. Draco Malfoy. He can tell you of the advantages of serving your lord faithfully." Voldemort sneered. "And the consequences if you do not." The Dark Lord held out his hand. "Come and take your rightful place at my side."

Everyone was looking. Everyone, on both sides.

Draco's eyes frantically scanned the crowd of Death Eaters, looking for the one person who could give him some clue as to what to do, looking for a figure with black hair in a sea of black uniforms.

Uncle Sev wasn't there

"Draco," "Voldemort continued."You do not need to fear me. I will not punish you because the Slytherins escaped. Obviously you and Rab have fought valiantly without them." He gestured, and Draco looked down.

His clothes were covered in dirt, soot, and Goyle's blood. Damn, he did look like he had been fighting in a war.

Draco raised his head slowly.

"Draco, come here now!" his father growled.

"Draco," came a dreamy soft voice from behind him. "Let's go get Caelum."

"Draco, come!" the Dark Lord called again. "I shall give you the students of Hogwarts as your soldiers. Or your slaves, if they refuse. Or your concubines." He laughed, and several of the Death Eaters laughed with him. "I will even allow you to keep the one you had. It would be such a shame to waste the talented pureblood the two of you will produce. Although she may have to move into the dungeon. We can't have her disappearing again, can we?"

Voldemort glared in Luna's direction, and it was all Draco could do not to turn and look at her. He didn't have to. He knew she would be looking back calmly.

"Come Draco!" Voldemort repeated. "Take your rightful place."

Draco stared at the figure in Hagrid's arms, desperately searching for a sign that he hadn't imagined the movement earlier.

There it was. Potter's chest rose and fell ever so slightly.

"Draco, please." His mother whined.

_Potter, savior of the world, don't fail me now. _he thought.

Draco took two steps backwards. He did not break eye contact with Voldemort, but he reached his hand back.

The small hand he was seeking grasped his own, and a moment later Luna was against his side.

"No," he called back. "My place is with my son's mother."

There were gasps, squeals, and a "What the fuck?" around them.

"She's not his mother!" Bellatrix screamed.

Luna squeezed his hand.

Potter didn't move a muscle.

_Oh shit._

"Now I will punish you, Draco." Voldemort stepped forward, raising his wand.

"NO!"

Draco's knees went weak when he realized who stood between him and the Dark Lord.

Neville Longbottom.

"I'd like to say something." the boy who had been hung from the ceiling by pixies and had a lifetime immunity to boils due to a certain potions accident was staring down the darkest wizard ever. "Yes, Harry's gone. People die everyday—friends..family. Yeah, we lost Harry tonight. But he's still with us…in here. So is Fred, Remus, Tonks…all of them. They didn't die in vain! But you will! Cause you're wrong! Harry's heart did beat for us! For all of us! It's not over! He died to give us a chance." Neville looked over his shoulder at Draco. "All of us. Any of us willing to stand for what is right. Dumbledore's Army!"

There was a deafening roar around him, as the ragtag group of would be soldiers cheered.

Draco stood in stunned silence.

"How very touching." Voldemort sneered. He raised his wand, pointing it directly at Draco.

Arthur Weasley and his scarred son moved to stand between the Dark Lord and Draco as well.

"Unlike you, Tom," Arthur stared at him coldly. "We are willing to accept any who will fight, regardless of their blood status."

Voldemort hesitated, for a fraction of a second, as if wondering whom he should take down first. Potter took advantage of the Dark Lord's distraction, rolling to his feet, and throwing a spell at ... the snake? "Confringo!" Potter ducked around to the side of the sprawl of bodies and headed back toward the castle.

The Dark Lord whirled in confusion, and before he could train his wand on the fleeing dark haired figure, Longbottom bent to grab the sorting hat from the ground, reached into it, pulled out a sword, and beheaded the snake.

Draco was definitely missing something here.

The cheering for Longbottom's little speech was nothing compared to the uproar seeing Golden Boy's resurrection created and Voldemort's screaming at seeing his beloved pet killed. Before the shouts of joy from Potter's side even died down, the battle was on again.

Draco grabbed Luna and pulled her sideways through the crowd, trying to find their way out.

There was a commotion from behind the Death Eaters, as the centaurs and a new group of fighters charged up from the rear. Led by Slughorn and another Weasley.

The Death Eaters, with no retreat, surged forward, chasing many of Potter's side back into the castle.

Suddenly house elves were spilling out of the school, armed with cutlery and kitchen utensils, attacking the Death Eaters.

Draco grinned, in spite of the fact he was standing in the middle of a battle. There was no way the Dark Lord was going to win this.

"Draco!" his mother was racing toward him, not paying attention to anything or anyone around her.

From behind, a Death Eater raised his wand and aimed for Narcissa. Draco let go of Luna's hand to stun his mother's would be killer.

And just like that, Draco and Luna were fighting in the battle.

They were separated by the crowd, catching glimpses of one another every so often. Narcissa made it to Draco's side but refused to fight, cowering against the wall and throwing defensive spells only. He paused to look at her for a moment, bewildered at the confusion in his mother's eyes, as if she didn't know which side to fight for.

His father fought his way through the crowd, stunning two Death Eaters, to kneel at his wife's side.

"Draco," his father said hoarsely. "Let's get out of here."

"Let me get Luna." was Draco's reply.

He followed the direction he had last seen her headed, back into the school. There were a few skirmishes going on in the hallways, but most of the fighting seemed to be either in the Great Hall or outside.

He spotted her easily enough, her blonde hair shining like a beacon in the dirt and smoke that hung in the air. She stood shoulder to shoulder with Granger and Weaselette. And the three of them were battling Auntie Bella.

The girls were barely holding their own. As Draco tried to reach them with what seemed like agonizing slowness, a Killing Curse shot so close to Ginny that she missed death by an inch.

He noticed Potter change course, heading toward the group of females instead of his intended target of Voldemort.

Before he had gone a few steps he was knocked sideways.

"NOT MY DAUGHTER, YOU BITCH!" Mrs. Weasley threw off her cloak as she ran, freeing her arms.

Bellatrix spun on the spot, roaring with laughter at the sight of her new challenger.

"OUT OF MY WAY!" shouted Mrs. Weasley to the three girls, and with a swipe of her wand she began to duel.

Draco watched, frozen, as Molly Weasley's wand slashed and twirled, and Bella's smile faltered and became a snarl. Jets of light flew from both wands, the floor around the witches' feet became hot and cracked; both women were fighting to kill.

"No!" Mrs. Weasley cried as a few students ran forward, trying to come to her aid. "Get back! Get back! She is mine!"

Hundreds of people now lined the walls, watching the two fights, Voldemort and his three opponents Shacklebolt, McGonagall, and and Bellatrix and Molly. Potter stood between the duels, his head whipping back and forth, trying to watch both, as if torn as to what to do.

"What will happen to your children when I've killed you?" taunted Bellatrix, as mad as her master, capering as Molly's curses danced around her. "When Mummy's gone the same way as Freddie?"

"You — will — never — touch — our — children — again!" screamed Mrs. Weasley.

Bellatrix laughed, the same exhilarated laugh her cousin Sirius had given as he toppled backward through the veil, and suddenly Draco knew what was going to happen before it did. Bella was overconfident, and overconfidence bred mistakes.

Molly's curse soared beneath Bellatrix's outstretched arm and hit her squarely in the chest, directly over her heart.

Bellatrix's gloating smile froze, her eyes seemed to bulge: For the tiniest space of time she knew what had happened, and then she toppled, and the watching crowd roared, and Voldemort screamed.

Draco felt as if everything moved slow motion; he saw McGonagall, Kingsley, and Slughorn blasted backward, flailing and writhing through the air, as Voldemort's fury at the fall of his right hand woman exploded with the force of a bomb.

He didn't register that he was screaming until Luna shook his arm gently.

Bella was dead. It couldn't be. Draco had honestly never believed she could die. He really believed that when it was all over, she would go back to Azkaban.

He had no idea what to feel.

He was jarred from his detachment by Potter's voice.

"I don't want anyone else to try to help," Harry said loudly, and in the total silence his voice carried like a trumpet call. "It's got to be like this. It's got to be me."

Voldemort hissed. "Potter doesn't mean that," he said, his red eyes wide. "That isn't how he works, is it? Who are you going to use as a shield today, Potter?"

"Nobody," said Potter simply. "There are no more Horcruxes. It's just you and me. Neither can live while the other survives, and one of us is about to leave for good. . . ."

"One of us?" jeered Voldemort, and his whole body was taut and his red eyes stared, a snake that was about to strike. "You think it will be you, do you, the boy who has survived by accident, and because Dumbledore was pulling the strings?"

They continued to face off, Voldemort taunting Potter, trying to distract him, to throw him off, to make him make a foolish mistake.

It really was fascinating to match when you understood what was going on.

"Draco." his father tugged on his other arm.

Draco looked up, and saw his mother standing on the other side of Lucius.

"Let's go. Now. While everyone is distracted." Lucius hissed.

Draco looked over at Luna, who watched with the same rapt attention Draco had just shown the duelists. He looked around. Almost no one was fighting any longer.

"Wait." Draco whispered back.

"You still don't get it, Riddle, do you? Possessing the wand isn't enough! Holding it, using it, doesn't make it really yours. Didn't you listen to Ollivander? The wand chooses the wizard. . . . The Elder Wand recognized a new master before Dumbledore died, someone who never even laid a hand on it. The new master removed the wand from Dumbledore against his will, never realizing exactly what he had done, or that the world's most dangerous wand had given him its allegiance. . . ."

Voldemort's chest rose and fell rapidly, and the tension in the air was stifling.

"The true master of the Elder Wand was Draco Malfoy."

What the fuck.

Blank shock showed in Voldemort's face for a moment, but then it was gone.

"But what does it matter?" he said softly. "Even if you are right, Potter, it makes no difference to you and me. You no longer have the phoenix wand: We duel on skill alone . . . and after I have killed you, I can attend to Draco Malfoy. . . ."

Narcissa gasped.

"But you're too late," said Potter. "You've missed your chance. I got there first. I overpowered Draco weeks ago. I took this wand from him."

Draco let out the breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

Potter twitched the hawthorn wand, and he felt the eyes of everyone in the Hall upon it. "So it all comes down to this, doesn't it?" whispered Harry. "Does the wand in your hand know its last master was Disarmed? Because if it does . . . I am the true master of the Elder Wand."

A red-gold glow burst suddenly across the enchanted sky above them as an edge of dazzling sun appeared over the sill of the nearest window. The light hit both of their faces at the same time, so that Voldemort's was suddenly a flaming blur. Potter heard the high voice shriek as he too yelled his best hope to the heavens, pointing Draco's wand:

"Avada Kedavra!"

"Expelliarmus!"

The bang was like a cannon blast, and the golden flames that erupted between them, at the dead center of the circle they had been treading, marked the point where the spells collided. Harry saw Voldemort's green jet meet his own spell, saw the Elder Wand fly high, dark against the sunrise, spinning across the enchanted ceiling like the head of Nagini, spinning through the air toward the master it would not kill, who had come to take full possession of it at last. And Potter, with the unerring skill of the Seeker, caught the wand  
>in his free hand as Voldemort fell backward, arms splayed, the slit pupils of the scarlet eyes rolling upward. Tom Riddle hit the floor with a mundane finality, his body feeble and shrunken, the white hands empty, the snakelike face vacant and unknowing. Voldemort was dead, killed by his own rebounding curse.<p>

It was over.

* * *

><p>AN - The war is over. The story is not.


	62. Chapter 60

Draco turned to Luna, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"It's over." he whispered into her hair.

"The Dark Lord is dead." she whispered back. "Bella is dead."

His response was cut off by his mother flinging herself at the two of them, nearly knocking them off their feet. She was crying and smiling and babbling trying to talk all at once.

"Draco." Lucius pulled his son away from the women, into his embrace. "I thought we had lost you."

He pulled away from his father to see that the crowd was mobbing Potter. The sun was rising, shining through the broken windows, one golden beam spotlighting the hero. Of course.

"We need to get Greg out of the Slytherin dorm." Luna tugged on Draco's arm.

He nodded, watching as a couple of the aurors levitated Voldemort's and Bella's bodies, taking them to another room. She took his hand, gently leading him through the debris. Rab again knelt beside Professor Vector, holding her hand and brushing the hair off her face.

"She's alive!" he shouted suddenly."Someone help her, she's still alive!"

McGonagall, Madame Pomfrey, and a couple of the aurors all ran to her side. Madame Pomfrey knelt, checking her over.

"Only just so." she pronounced. "We've got to get her to St Mungo's right away."

One of the aurors bent down and lifted the teacher's slight frame. "I've got her." He moved as swiftly as he could toward the front doors, going outside to apparate.

Kingsley Shacklebolt walked over to where Rab was just getting to his feet. "Lestrange." he said coolly.

Rab's wand was pointed at the auror's chest in a heartbeat. "I'm not going back to Azkaban."

Shacklebolt's empty hands flew up. "Don't do this, Lestrange."

Rab's gaze flickered over to the other aurors, who were cautiously approaching. "They'll have to kill me. I'm not going back to Azkaban."

"Lestrange, listen to me." Shacklebolt spoke slowly and calmly. "The dementors won't be there. It won't be like it was before. And we saw what you did tonight. You stood with us against Voldemort. That will be considered. There's a good chance you may only be there a few years. Then you'll have your whole life ahead of you."

"What life?" Rab shook his head. "I have nothing. I have no family. I have nowhere to go. Rod's dead. The only thing I know is being a Death Eater."

"Septima is still alive." McGonagall said softly. "She has never even dated anyone since the two of you broke up. You may still have a chance."

"You're still my family." Draco added.

Rab looked from one to another, and after an agonizingly long moment, lowered his wand and handed it to Draco. The aurors moved in swiftly, securing the man's hands behind his back before he could change his mind.

Luna looked at Madame Pomfrey. "Greg Goyle is in the Slytherin dorm. He can't move his legs. We're going to get him."

The healer nodded. "Bring him straight away."

On the way out, they passed Potter sitting on a bench, his chin in his hands, staring at the floor. Luna slipped her hand out of Draco's and plopped down on the bench as well.

"I'd want some peace and quiet, if it were me," she said.

"I'd love some," he replied.

"I'll distract them all," she said. "Use your Cloak."

And before he could say a word she had cried, "Oooh, look, a Blibbering Humdinger!" and pointed out of the window. Everyone who heard looked around, and Harry slid the Cloak up over himself, and disappeared.

Draco and Luna continued out into the hallway, and then Draco apparated them both into the Slytherin common room.

"Who's there?" a frightened voice cried out.

"It's me, Greg." Draco shouted back. "Voldemort's dead. Potter won."

There was silence for a moment. "Draco, please. I'm sorry. Please get me out of here."

Draco slid up the stairs, gesturing for Luna to wait at the bottom. At the top, he dropped to the floor, carefully peering around the corner to make sure he wouldn't be hexed as soon as he came into view.

The boy on the floor was quivering, streaks on his dirty face washed clean by the tears he had cried.

"I just wanna go home Draco."

Draco nodded, levitating the bigger boy, and they began the slow trip back to the Great Hall.

By the time they arrived, there were many more bodies on the floor, and many more dead and injured being brought in.

Aberforth Dumbledore brought Snape's body into the Great Hall.

Draco froze, unable to breathe. He had known. Really. When there had been no sight of the man during the final battle, Draco had known he was gone.

But there had been too many things to think about at the moment, and there was a little part of him hoping that his godfather had fled, or had been captured, or ... something.

Seeing the pale, bloodied body, there was no longer any way to deny the truth.

He didn't care that people were staring at him. Draco sank to his knees at Snape's side, burying his face in his hands, and gave into the wracking sobs that shook his body.

He grieved for his godfather, his mentor, and most of all, the one person who _understood_.

Luna wrapped her arms around him and laid his head on his shoulder. His mother knelt beside him on the other side.

"He's free Draco." Luna whispered. "No one can ever hurt him again."

* * *

><p>Harry Potter stood fifteen feet away, hidden under his cloak, unable to tear himself away from the scene.<p>

The raw emotion pouring from the normally controlled Malfoy was overwhelming. The fact he was watching a boy he thought for years he loathed mourn a man he thought for years he loathed was ... well, Harry just couldn't put it into words.

But in some deep part of his soul, after what he had seen earlier in the pensieve, he was glad that someone, in this world that was sometimes so unfair, had truly loved Severus Snape.

* * *

><p>When he had cried himself out, when the sobs had turned to shuddering, hiccuping gasps, and Draco finally raised his head, Luna was still there. His mother was not. Kingsley Shacklebolt stood patiently by his side.<p>

Draco slowly made his way to his feet with Luna's help.

"Son, you'll have to come with me." Shacklebolt said gently.

Draco nodded, looking around the room.

"Your parents have already been taken into custody." the auror informed him.

Draco turned to Luna, brushing her hair away from her face. "Take care of Caelum. He's with my Aunt Andromeda but I'll have them bring him to you." he whispered. She nodded. "I love you."

"I love you too." she whispered back, tears filling her eyes.

He pressed a brief, chaste kiss to her lips, and then turned to the tall man behind him. "I'm ready, sir."

The head auror looked at Luna. "You're being turned over to the custody of Arthur Weasley for now. You'll be called in the next day or two to come to the Ministry for questioning."

Luna nodded.

"She didn't do anything." Draco pleaded with the man. "She was a prisoner.

"So were you." Luna said softly.

Shacklebolt looked from one to the other, nodding slightly. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>They spent the morning searching for victims, bringing the dead and wounded to the Great Hall, where Madame Pomfrey triaged the patients, sending those who needed more complex care to the hospital. A few of the healers from St Mungos had come to assist.<p>

"Do you need to see a healer, sweetums?" Molly asked gently.

"No, why?" Luna asked.

"To check ... your ... um, condition." the Weasley matriarch gestured at her stomach.

"Oh." Luna's mouth and eyes rounded. She shook her head. "I'm not really pregnant. Draco told them that to protect me."

Molly tried not to sigh in relief out loud.

When it was all over, they went back to the Burrow. The entire Weasley clan, Harry, Hermione, and Luna. Neville and his grandmother were invited, but he begged off, saying he really just wanted to go see his parents. They all piled in the small sitting room, not willing to be away from one another, laughing and crying and absorbing the fact it was really over. Most of the group went to bed just after sundown, having been up all of the previous night.

They were awakened by a young man pounding on the door at 7am, asking for Luna.

"Paul Waldman, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, ma'am." the man introduced himself. "After the arrest of Draco Malfoy yesterday, he instructed the aurors to contact the firm of Greystoke, Buckingham, and Pickford to obtain a legal instrument he had previously signed. In the event of Draco Malfoy's death, incapacitation, or incarceration, you have been named as the permanent legal guardian of his son Caelum Abraxas Malfoy." the man spoke louder to be heard over the gasps and murmurs. "Do you wish to accept this responsibility?"

"Of course." Luna answered.

The man stepped outside, and returned a moment later with an old woman holding a toddler with a tear streaked face, clutching a stuffed dragon for dear life.

"MUMMY!" Caelum began bouncing in her arms and reaching for Luna. "Mummy! Mummy!"

She took the child and hugged him close. "Yes, sweetheart, it's me."

He looked around, asking "Duhduh?"

"Daddy's not here. Just mummy." she told him softly. Caelum wrapped both arms around her neck.

Waldman handed her Caelum's bag and a business card, instructing her to contact the law firm for the legal paperwork and to arrange to retrieve the rest of Caelum's belongings from the Manor.

He and the old woman left, leaving Luna holding a child babbling happily and eleven adults and teenagers all talking at once at Luna.

"Let's go have some breakfast while we sort this out." Arthur suggested.

Nearly everyone chipped in while Luna and Ginny prepared Caelum a sippy cup of milk and cut pieces of bread and egg for him. Ron and Harry were sent to the broomshed to look for the old high chair.

Luna and Caleum, however, refused to be parted, so he was seated on his mummy's lap.

Once everyone was assembled around the table, Luna began her story. "It was Draco's child I took care of at Malfoy Manor." she informed them.

"How can that be?" Molly Weasley asked. "He's just a boy, not even out of school."

Luna sighed. "This is one of the secrets I said I wouldn't tell before. Draco was sexually abused, and the child was the result."

Molly gasped and clapped her hand over her mouth.

Ron snorted. "Do you really believe that, Luna? Malfoy sexually abused. You know he lies. Don't you think this is just a story he used to make you feel sorry for him?"

"Ronald, he was sixteen years old and a woman old enough to be his mother used Unforgivables on him." Luna shook her head. "He was very damaged. He still is. It wasn't something he could pretend."

"Who is the baby's mother?" Harry asked.

Luna shook her head. "It's not important. She's dead now, but she never had anything to do with Caelum anyway. She abandoned him the night he was born."

"He was serious about you being his son's mother." Bill said, a curious look on his face. "I thought he was just spouting rubbish. Or that he had knocked you up."

""Ow old ees ee?" Fleur asked.

"Almost fifteen months." Luna answered, and then continued as she saw Molly start to open her mouth. "He has health issues. He doesn't walk yet or talk much. He'll need medical care all of his life."

"That's a lot of responsibility to put on someone your age." Arthur frowned.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Luna shrugged.


	63. Chapter 61

A/N – Once again, yes, Ron came across a little harsh in the last chapter. Ron is suspicious by nature, to the point of near paranoia occasionally. (remember how the locket made him act?) Especially where Draco is concerned. Just something to keep in mind.

* * *

><p>Apparently the wizarding world had little trouble figuring out where Harry had gone. Owls came all day, and Arthur placed a fidelus charm on the house mid-morning to stop the steady stream of gawkers and admirers who dropped by.<p>

Harry spent a lot of time sitting behind the broomshed, staring out at the field, trying to absorb the fact that it was really all over. Several times someone offered their company, but he mostly wanted to be alone.

An owl came that evening, requesting Luna report to the Ministry the following morning. Similar owls also came for the other residents of the Burrow.

Caelum asked for Draco several times during the day, but seemed content to be with Luna when told his daddy wasn't there. Until dark. Then he cried for his daddy while maintaining a death grip on his mummy. Molly tried to take him to give Luna a break, but Caelum wouldn't have it.

Molly finally added a few drops of a calming potion into some milk, explaining she had had to do the same when Percy and Ginny were babies and had colic. He finally settled and went to sleep. Luna continued to hold him, refusing to lay him down. Molly didn't press the matter, figuring they needed each other's comfort.

* * *

><p>Luna and Caelum slept on the sofa in the sitting room, which Bill transfigured into a bed for them, as the house was practically bursting at the seams with everyone, including Percy, there. He woke at his normal six-something the following morning, smiling and laughing that he was sleeping with mummy.<p>

They snuggled together and played for a bit.

Caelum finally sat up, looking around. "Duhduh?" he asked.

"No, Daddy's not here now." Luna told him. "But we will get our daddy back."

"Mmmmmmm." Caelum informed her. "Eff! Eff!" he shouted.

"What is he on about?" Harry asked, his sleep tousled head poking out of the kitchen.

"He's calling for the house elf to bring his breakfast." Luna smiled sadly. "Elf isn't here." she told the baby.

The child's face scrunched up and he began to cry.

"He's as spoiled as his father." Harry snorted.

"It's just what he's used to." Luna shrugged. "In his world, it was normal that when he was hungry, he called the elf and she brought him food. He probably thinks he won't get fed because the elf isn't here. He doesn't know differently. And he probably misses Rinka. That's the elf's name. She would play with him."

"Oh." Harry frowned. "I hadn't thought of it that way."

Luna turned back to Caelum, gently shushing him and promising they would have breakfast soon. She carried him into the kitchen and poured him a sippy cup of milk to appease him for a moment.

"So what you said." Harry looked at her thoughtfully. "About Malfoy and Dobby ..."

"Dobby took care of Draco when he was little." Luna confirmed. "And he was very hurt when Dobby left. He took it personally."

Harry nodded, pouring himself some milk, looking as if he had a lot to think about.

Luna did hope that now that he no longer had Voldemort to keep his mind occupied, the wrackspurts would not take over.

* * *

><p>Luna reported to the Ministry office later that morning, Caelum in tow, both because she didn't want to be away from him and because there was no one to leave him with, as the entire household was going to the Ministry. The aurors were surprisingly nice about it, finding a few toys for Caelum to play with. Luna sat him on a blanket in the corner, and he seemed content, as long as he could see his mummy.<p>

Four different aurors questioned her, including Kingsley Shacklebolt himself. The first three seemed to be reading from a script, because they all asked her almost the same questions. She of course, gave them the same answers.

Shacklebolt tossed the same file folder onto the table without opening it as he sat down. He sighed, leaning forward, elbows on the table.

"You weren't a Death Eater." He said certainly.

"No. I wasn't." Luna answered. "I've already explained that to the other three aurors."

"I know." He nodded. "But I think you may know the answers to some other questions I have."

Luna tilted her head at him but didn't speak.

"Who killed James Avery?" he asked.

"He killed himself, I suppose." Luna frowned. "He was trying to blast the nursery door open, but Draco had warded it to protect us. The curse backfired. He was severely burned. He was taken to St Mungos, but I heard later he had passed away."

"Why was he trying to blast the nursery door?" Shacklebolt continued.

"The Dark Lord's orders." Luna informed him.

"Why did Voldemort order him to blast the nursery door?" the man's eyes narrowed at her.

"He was angry at Draco." She shrugged. "I'm not sure if it was a punishment or a test or a bit of both. Lucius said we were going to be taken away from Draco, Caelum and I. Draco was also attacked that night by some of the other Death Eaters. He nearly died, but between Professor Snape and Caelum's doctor, they saved his life."

"Voldemort ordered his followers to attack one another?" the auror raised one eyebrow.

"More than once." Luna pressed her lips together. "The Dark Lord killed Keith Evernham himself, in the middle of a Death Eater meeting, because the man questioned him."

"Did anyone in that house physically harm you or the baby?" Shacklebolt stared at her unflinchingly.

"The only time I am aware of Caelum being hurt was once when Bellatrix Lestrange aimed a curse at me, it glanced off Caelum." She looked over at the boy, who still played contentedly in the corner. "Bellatrix tortured me several times. Dolohov and Rowle did a couple times, when I first was taken there, before I was brought to the nursery. Avery, Lucius Malfoy, and someone else tried to break into the nursery that one night, but they couldn't get in."

"Did Draco Malfoy harm you in any way?" the auror folded his arms.

Luna hesitated.

"I want the truth." Shacklebolt sat up slightly straighter in his chair.

"He did throw me against a wall and break my collarbone once, and he did grab me by the throat once, but both were accidents." She stared back, wide eyed.

"How could those things have been accidents?" he frowned.

"Because both times he thought I was Bellatrix, coming to harm him." She answered evenly. "He was very upset both times to find that it was actually me."

"Did Bellatrix harm Draco, to your knowledge?" he leaned back against the back of the chair.

"Extensively." Luna replied bluntly.

He nodded. "Well then I guess that Draco would be well served to try to defend himself."

Luna nodded, looking over to check on Caelum.

"What was your relationship with Draco Malfoy?" Shacklebolt continued.

"I love him." she said softly. "He loves me. If everything hadn't come about the way it did over the past week, we were going to take Caelum and flee the Death Eaters on Thursday."

"Draco was going to leave the Death Eaters?" his eyes widened.

"We had been planning it for almost a month." she confirmed. "We were hoping to take Narcissa with us, and possibly Rab Lestrange."

He folded his arms again. "How much was Draco involved in Death Eater activities?"

Luna tilted her head, considering.

"I want the truth." he repeated.

"I know." she nodded. "I'm just trying to think of the best way to explain it. The Dark Lord chose Draco to be his right hand man, to replace Bellatrix when the time came. Draco didn't want it. He was forced into the plot to kill Dumbledore because Voldemort was threatening to kill Draco and his parents if Draco didn't cooperate. Not to mention, he had been abused by his Aunt Bella all the previous summer, and he wasn't in a very good place mentally. He ..."

"What do you mean abused him?" he interrupted.

Luna looked at him, wondering if she should answer.

"It's very important you tell me as much as you can of what happened." he said softly.

She sighed. "Draco has been hurt and damaged enough. He doesn't need the world to know a lot of the things that happened to him."

"I give you my word." He held out his hand for her to shake. "I will keep whatever you say between us, unless I need the information to prosecute a crime, or exonerate someone who shouldn't be charged in one. And then I will keep whatever information I use as confidential as possible."

She hesitated.

"Did Draco tell you that he could have captured or even killed Arthur Weasley a few weeks ago?"

Her eyes widened and she shook her head.

"He didn't. He didn't even try." he continued. "That's why I believe it when I heard you say Draco was a prisoner there. I want to make sure justice is done."

She reached over and shook the hand he still held out. He dropped his hand to the table and leaned forward.

"Bellatrix sexually abused Draco the summer between his fifth and sixth years. She used Unforgivables and other spells to force him to have sex with her. Right before he went back to Hogwarts that fall, she informed him she was pregnant with his child." Luna's fists clenched involuntarily, and she glanced over at her son again. "Caelum was born with health problems, and Bella refused to have anything to do with the baby. Draco ended up with the care of his son. He's been very damaged by the whole ordeal."

Shacklebolt looked over at the child as well. "I can imagine that it's been a horrific experience for the poor fellow. But the child seems very happy and well adjusted."

"Draco loves his son. Despite everything, he really does." Luna smiled. "He's tried to be a good father. That was another threat that Voldemort held over him later, to harm Caelum. Draco also had to lie to Voldemort about the true nature of Caelum's health issues. If Voldemort had known that the child will most likely never walk without assistance, Caelum would have killed. Voldemort considers ... considered, people who did not meet his standards of perfection disposable."

Shacklebolt shook his head and looked at Caelum again.

Caelum looked up and grinned. "Mummy!" He made the sign for drink.

"I need a moment." Luna told the auror, digging into the bag she brought for a sippy cup. "Are you hungry too?" she asked the child.

"Mmmmmm!" he answered.

She gave him his milk and a container of cut up bites of bread and bacon, and then returned to the table to finish her interrogation.

Shacklebolt grinned as the baby attacked his snack greedily.

"Now," he turned to Luna. "Back to Draco's involvement with the Death Eaters. What about the raids?"

"He didn't want to go." she shrugged. "But he wasn't given a choice. He tried to participate as little as possible, but I know there were times he had to do things he didn't want to. I do know of one time Bella tried to force him to rape a muggle woman, but he attacked Bella instead. It was very traumatic for him."

"Was Draco punished?" the auror asked.

"I think he may have been slightly." she frowned. "But Voldemort was more excited about the fact Draco showed how powerful he was, that he took down Bella and Antonin Dolohov single handedly. Then the following day, Draco had a ... mishap. He took some muggle medication and drank firewhiskey with it. It made him extremely ill. I think by the time everything had calmed down, the Dark Lord had somewhat forgotten about punishing him."

Shacklebolt nodded. "I think ... "

"Mummy." Caelum called.

Both adults looked over at the child, who had finished his snack and was cuddling his dragon, yawning.

"It's your naptime, isn't it sweetheart?" she picked the child up and cradled him against her shoulder.

"I'm satisfied that you are not a Death Eater, and were held in Malfoy Manor against your will. I'm going to formally release you as a suspect. However, you will need to come back here some time in the near future and allow the aurors to copy some of your memories to be used as evidence in some of the Death Eater trials." he held up his hand as she started to protest. "We will discuss this again before it happens, and I will make sure they only take relevant memories. I will also ask that you make sure the auror office is aware of where you are staying, both because we may need to ask more questions, and also because there are still some Death Eaters on the loose."

"What about my father, Draco, his parents, and Rab?" she asked.

"They're all being held at this point. I feel that your father will probably be released soon, maybe within a week or two. The others, they're probably going to trial, and there are a lot of Death Eaters to try right now. The trials will probably last all summer and well into the fall, if not close to Christmas. I hate to say it, but the Wizengamot is going to schedule the easy trials first. The hardcore Death Eaters whom they can just hear a little testimony and convict. Draco, Lucius, and Rab will probably be in the last group to go to trial."

"Can I go to Azkaban and see them?" she offered hopefully.

He sighed. "Eventually. Right now they're still processing everyone and having to move people around due to the sudden influx. When it all gets settled, they will allow visitors. Maybe a couple weeks. But Draco and Narcissa aren't in Azkaban. They're being kept in holding cells here in the lower level of the Ministry, as they're first time offenders and have been cooperative. Lucius and Rab, having escaped from Azkaban before, they're in maximum security. Your father is in minimum security, just because that's where he was already, but if they decide they need the space, he may be brought here."

She nodded in understanding. "Can I go home? Back to Rook House? I am seventeen now, and ... "

He shook his head sadly. "When your father was arrested, two of the Death Eaters and Harry, Ron, and Hermione apparently had a skirmish. There was an explosion in the house. It's not inhabitable right now."

Luna looked at him in disbelief. No one had bothered to tell her that before now. "What about Malfoy Manor? It is Caelum's home. Could he and I live there?"

Shacklebolt half shrugged. "Right now, it's a crime scene. No one but aurors allowed in or out. When all the processing of potential evidence is done, the house will be released. You'd have to speak with the Malfoy family attorneys, but I'm quite certain that Caelum would be allowed to live there, and you of course, as his guardian."

"But in the meantime, my child and I are homeless?" Luna asked.

"I wouldn't look at it that way." the man patted her shoulder comfortingly. "You just need a place for the moment. I'm certain the Weasleys won't mind your staying on there until you can make other arrangements. If that becomes a problem, let me know. The auror department has access to a number of safe houses, and I will see if I can place you in one for a short time."

"Thank you." she murmured. "Oh." she looked back up at him. "What about the Malfoy house elves? What's become of them?"

"They're staying at Hogwarts for the moment, as we had to clear them out of the Manor. When the aurors are done with the Manor, they will be allowed back there, and then it will depend on what the lawyers decide, but I'm sure they will stay with the house."

"Could I have one of them with me, if I'm not with the Weasleys, so that I have help with Caelum?" she tilted her head.

"That won't be up to me, but I'm certain that would be approved. After all, Caelum is a Malfoy."

He thanked her for her cooperation, and escorted her out to the floo area, where Charlie and George waited to take her back to the Burrow.


	64. Chapter 62

The Weasleys were more than gracious about having Caelum and Luna stay with them. Bill and Fleur returned home the next day, and Charlie the day after that, so Luna and Caelum were able to move into a bedroom, rather than sleeping in the sitting room. Arthur and Molly doted on Caelum. Really, all of them did.

Everyone thought it was hilarious that Caelum ate like Ron, and after being offered "a bite" constantly, Caelum learned to ask for one, although it came out more like "bye."

They were all perfectly lovely, except that Caelum and Luna were used to being alone for the most part. Sometimes they had Draco, Rinka, or Narcissa, but the only time in Luna's experience he had been around three people at once was on his birthday or when he was in the hospital. He was somewhat nervous, and tended to get over stimulated, which made it hard to get him to sleep. But then again, having all the other people around did distract him from looking for Draco so much.

They had been there almost a week when Caelum let Molly rock him to sleep at naptime. Luna slipped out of the house and walked to the top of the hill. She sat down, chin on her knees, looking over at the next hill, wistfully staring at the remains of her home.

"Hello Harry." she said, not turning, a moment before he dropped to the grass beside her.

"Luna." he greeted. "I suppose you miss your house." He nodded toward the crumbling structure on the other hill.

"The Weasleys have been very kind." she sighed. "But it's a bit overwhelming having so many people around when you're not used to it."

"Yeah, I suppose it is." he answered. "So what are you going to do?"

"I don't really know." she tilted her head. "With both Daddy and Draco in custody, it's like my life is on hold until I find out what's going to happen. I'm hoping that both of them will be released, and we will be able to make a home together. But I suppose I need to make some sort of plan for the mean time."

"Ron and Hermione are leaving the day after tomorrow." he told her. "They're going to Australia to find Hermione's parents. I ... I don't think I really want to stay here when they're gone. I mean, as much as I love all the Weasleys, I think I just need to be somewhere a little less ... "

"Boisterous?" Luna suggested.

"I suppose." he shrugged. "Anyway, I'm thinking of going to Grimmauld Place. Kingsley said I can come down and help out with some things in the auror department, get a head start on my training, so to speak."

Luna nodded. "I think it would be good for you, to be busy."

"Do you want to come?" he blurted. "I mean, obviously you and Caelum need a place to stay, and I think the two of you could do with somewhere a little calmer as well. Until you figure out what you're going to do beyond that. I've never stayed in that house alone before and I'm a bit afraid of it. And you know, Caelum's probably got more of a proper claim on that house than I do."

"It sounds lovely." Luna smiled.

* * *

><p>The three of them moved in to the old Black family mansion on the same day Ron and Hermione left for Australia. George also left that morning to go back to Diagon Alley and see about reopening the store. Molly and Arthur insisted they were all welcome to stay, and made Luna promise to bring little Caelum to visit. She also pulled Harry and Luna aside, asking them to check up on George when they were all back in London, as his mother was truly worried about him.<p>

Harry had arranged with the Ministry to have Rinka waiting at the house when they arrived. The Ministry had also connected the floo network, so both Rinka and Kreacher were waiting in front of the fireplace.

Kreacher immediately launched into a tirade of why the house did not need a second elf. Rinka ran over and threw herself at Luna's feet crying and babbling about her baby master. Luna knelt down to help her up, and Caelum grabbed Rinka's ear, the closest part he could reach.

"Eff! Eff! Eff!" he bounced in Luna's arms excitedly.

"No, don't pull her ear." Luna gently pried his hand loose. "That hurts. Do you want to hug her?"

Rinka stood, bringing herself about level with the child, who launched himself into her arms.

"Baby Master is with Rinka!" the little elf held the boy, so excited she was shaking. After a moment, she handed Caelum back to Luna and turned to Harry, who was trying to convince Kreacher that Rinka was here to help with the baby, not take Kreacher's duties.

"This very bad house!" Rinka shook her finger at Harry. "Much things here to hurt baby! Must think about that, babies not know not to play with dark magic objects!"

"I'm sorry," Harry told her. "I don't know much about babies. I've never been around any. Anything you find that would hurt the baby, please lock it in the cupboard at the end of the hallway on the third floor."

"Rinka will take care of." she nodded, still regarding Harry suspiciously.

"Rinka, please take Luna and Caelum to their room." Harry instructed, having to speak over Kreacher who was still carrying on about not needing help to serve his master.

The little elf led the way to the third floor, chattering happily.

"Rinka come yesterday and spend all day cleaning room and get ready for Baby Master and Missy Luna. Whole room full of feathers. Harry Potter have some big awful thing in this room before. But all better now. All clean. Baby Master and Missy Luna's things here."

She flung open a door to a large bedroom, painted in a soft blue. The curtains and carpet were a darker blue. Caelum's crib was in the corner, his rocking chair next to it. His rocking horse sat in the middle of the room. He pointed at it, babbling with excitement.

"You missed your horse, didn't you?" Luna asked.

Caelum turned his head, then leaned around Luna to look all around the room. "Duhduh?"

She sighed. "No, Daddy still isn't here."

Rinka pointed to several frames on the mantle and dresser. "Rinka bring much pictures of Master Draco and Malfoys."

Luna's gaze fell on a photo she had never seen before. A young Draco, smiling broadly, hovered on a small broom while a man Luna had never seen before applauded. A younger version of Lucius and Narcissa stood to one side, Narcissa looking concerned. Dobby stood between the couple and the older man, his eyes never leaving Draco. "Who is this?"

"That Master Abraxas. Master Lucius father. Him love little Draco very much. Master Draco love him and name baby after him." Rinka informed her.

"Gam!" Caelum cried, spotting a more recent picture of the Malfoy family. He looked around the room.

"No, Grandmother is not here either." Luna smoothed the child's hair, which was starting to fill in.

Caelum cried, and even riding his horse only barely soothed him.

* * *

><p>Harry checked in with Kingsley later that day. As the auror ranks had been decimated by the war, and there was so much to do in the aftermath, the department was terribly short staffed. It was agreed that one of the things Harry could do without completing extensive training, was to help monitor the prisoners in the basement of the Ministry. None of them appeared violent, and Harry knew enough defensive spells to counteract any possible uprising.<p>

He spent a few hours there that afternoon, being shown the procedures and where everything and everyone was located. There were ten cells total. Each of the six on one hall contained a single male prisoner, with Draco Malfoy at the very end. There were only two occupied on the other hallway, one taken by Narcissa Malfoy and the other by Martha Goyle.

Williamson, the auror Harry was working under, informed the prisoners that Harry would be working there now. Most showed reactions ranging between polite disinterest to sneering eye rolls.

Draco Malfoy showed no reaction at all. He stared at the floor as if he wasn't even aware anyone was there.

Williamson led Harry out and closed the door. "That one," he gestured with his thumb. "Should probably be in St Mungo's rather than here."

Harry started to ask why, but Williamson was already on about meal time procedures, so he didn't get a chance.

* * *

><p>On the third day at Grimmauld Place, Luna got her period.<p>

She cried in the privacy of the shower. She knew that a potion made by Severus Snape would not fail. She knew she was going to have her hands full raising Caelum alone, with all of his health concerns. She knew that wizarding society still frowned on illegitimate children. She knew this was for the best.

But part of her still grieved that Draco had not created a new life in her belly. That she would not have her own child with silver eyes. Their little Scorpius.

* * *

><p>Harry was assigned to deliver the prisoner's lunches. He knocked on the door, announced mealtime, and the prisoner came to the door to get their food.<p>

Until he got to the last cell.

He called out, but Malfoy didn't move. He sat on his cot staring at the floor, just as he had for the past two days. Harry called his name, but still received no response.

He opened the door, placing the tray on the table before crossing the cell toward the unmoving figure.

"Malfoy." Harry said sharply, reaching to touch his charge's arm.

The young man sprang to life immediately, scrambling backwards on the bed, hair flying, eyes wild. "Don't fucking touch me." he hissed.

"I brought your lunch." Harry answered, confused.

"Leave it. Stay away from me." the blond continued to back away.

"Malfoy. Draco." Harry kept moving forward. "I'm not going to hurt you."

Harry suddenly felt himself knocked backwards. Malfoy had thrown a shield. Non-verbally and wandlessly.

He was either incredibly powerful in his magic, or so terrified he had performed accidental magic.

Harry thought it could possibly be some of both.

"I'm going to leave your food. I'll be back later for the tray. I promise, I won't hurt you."

Malfoy looked up as Harry backed out of the cell, his eyes conveying that he clearly did not believe that.

* * *

><p>Luna took Caelum to St Mungos to arrange for him to begin outpatient physical therapy and speech therapy. She found out for the first time that Healer Ferguson had been injured, and sent an owl, expressing concern, and inviting him to stop by tea sometime.<p>

She had to keep Caelum busy to keep him from crying for Draco. She completely understood. When everything was quiet, and Caelum was asleep, sometimes she cried for Draco too. Having Rinka there helped, but even she missed Draco.

Luna sent an owl asking Andromeda Tonks if she and Caelum could visit. The woman replied that they were welcome any time.

So one day when Caelum was particularly fussy, she decided to go there on the spur of the moment. She invited Harry to come along to visit Teddy, who was his godson.

Although Andromeda had never met Luna, she threw her arms around the young woman and welcomed her like an old friend. Caelum babbled and patted his aunt's cheek.

"I want to thank you." Luna said over tea. "For taking care of Caelum the night of the great battle. And I wanted to ask, if I could bring him to see you and Teddy sometime. If Draco, Narcissa, and Lucius all go to Azkaban, you and Teddy will be the only family he has."

Andromeda held out her arms to take Caelum. She settled the boy in her lap. "Of course I want you and Caelum to be my family. I've missed my family for all these years. I wish things could have been different. I wish my parents could have accepted my Ted. I wish my sisters would have forgiven me. I wish I could have seen Bella one last time. She and I were so close when we were children, before obsession and madness and the Dark Arts became her life." She brushed her hand over Caelum's hair. "Maybe the good that was in her so long ago will live on in this one."

Luna's eyes went wide. "You know?"

"I knew the moment I laid eyes on him." Andromeda sighed. "I didn't want to believe Bella would do such a thing, but in my heart I knew. When I visited Cissy the other day, I asked her and she confirmed it." she shook her head. "Bella hurt so many people for Voldemort, who never cared about her the way she wanted him to. It's sad, really. And Cissy's poor son, everything he's been through.."

Harry had been sitting there opening and closing his mouth like a gaping fish. "Bellatrix Lestrange was Caelum's mother?" Luna nodded. "And Draco is his father? But ... but ... she was his aunt!"

"Harry," Luna pleaded. "Now you understand why Caelum's parentage is such a secret. Draco has been traumatized enough by the fact that his aunt abused him. Can you imagine how much harder it would be on him if everyone knew?" Harry just stared at her. "And they would judge Caelum. He certainly doesn't deserve to be mistreated. He didn't choose to be born into the situation."

Harry looked from Luna to Andromeda and back. He nodded. "I'll keep the secret. For Caelum's sake, not his father's."

"Thank you." Andromeda told him.

* * *

><p>There was an owl post message waiting when they returned home, asking for Harry and Luna to contact Kingsley Shacklebolt as soon as possible.<p>

Harry placed the floo call as soon as their cloaks were off.

Shacklebolt answered immediately. "I just wanted to let you know, before you heard about it from other sources. Based on your statements as to how she told Voldemort you were dead, Harry, and how she protected Luna in the Manor and was not directly involved in any Death Eater activities, Narcissa Malfoy is being released in the morning. The Wizengamot declined to try her. Draco and Lucius are being held pending formal trials, which will probably take place later this summer."

"What about my father?" Luna asked.

"Your father has been moved to the Ministry holding cells. We're hoping to have a preliminary hearing to determine whether he will be bound over for trial next week." he told her.

"Can I see them?"

Shacklebolt's mouth tightened into a thin line before he answered. "You can see your father. Just contact the auror office ahead of time to set an appointment. Draco hasn't been cleared for visitors yet, Luna. They may even be moving him to Azkaban. I'm sorry."

* * *

><p>The following morning a sleek black owl arrived for Luna. The letter was from Ellsworth P. Buckingham VI, wizarding solicitor. His client Narcissa Malfoy wished to meet with Luna at 2 that afternoon.<p>

"It's probably just to settle the details about Caelum." she told Harry. "Nothing to worry about."

She almost convinced herself.


	65. Chapter 63

"You want to talk about arrangements for Caelum, don't you?" Luna asked, looking from Narcissa to her attorney.

"Yes, but not in the way you may expect." the older man looked slightly uncomfortable for a moment.

"Draco wouldn't want you to take him from me." Luna narrowed her eyes at the older woman.

"Oh no, dear. You are his mummy. I fully agree that he should live with you, if we are not able to get Draco released." Narcissa reached over and patted her hand. "Actually, I would really like both of you to live with me in the Manor. It is, after all, the only home Caelum has known and is much to big for just one person. But I do want to talk about securing his future."

The attorney cleared his throat. "The Malfoy line has an ancient "Rightful Heirs" clause. Basically, it was intended to prevent illegitimate heirs from challenging the lord and lady's children for the title or monetary and property inheritance. Caelum, unfortunately, was born out of wedlock. In order for the estate to pass to him eventually, either the current Lord Malfoy must abolish the clause, or we must rectify Caelum's legal status. Lucius is not inclined to, shall we say, be cooperative. He has stated that he will respect Draco's wishes to make Caelum Draco's heir, but he will not name Caelum as the Malfoy family heir."

"What does that mean for Caelum?" Luna asked, twisting her hands under the table.

"He would inherit Draco's personal estate, but he would not be able to inherit any of the titles, property, or money that are specifically held by the Malfoy family, and the line would, from a legal standpoint, die with Draco if he had no other children. If a legitimate heir can be found, some distant cousin, perhaps, they could apply to the Ministry to be declared Lord Malfoy. Otherwise, the title is vacated and the inheritance is forfeited to the Ministry." the lawyer shuffled some papers. "However, Mrs. Malfoy and I are seeking to circumvent that possibility. If Caelum was the legally adopted child of Draco and his wife, he would be a legitimate heir."

Luna frowned at him. "Draco isn't married."

"Not at the moment." Narcissa smirked. "That's what we wanted to talk to you about."

Luna's eyes widened as she understood. "You want me to marry Draco and adopt Caelum."

"We will, of course, hope that Draco is freed after his trial. However, in a worst case scenario, you marrying Draco would be our most expedient solution. If you agree, we will petition the Ministry for a 24 hour furlough for Draco so that the two of you can be married." the man flushed slightly. "Of course, with wizarding law, the marriage must be consummated to be legal and binding."

"Why don't we wait and see if Draco will be cleared first, and then worry about what happens if he isn't?" Luna looked at the attorney.

The man shuffled his papers again. "Because Draco can be furloughed, with special permission from the Ministry, as long as he has not been convicted of using an Unforgivable. If he's convicted, there is no furlough, and even though we could probably arrange for you to be married at Azkaban, the marriage could not be consummated. In other words, if he's convicted, it's too late."

Narcissa leaned forward. "The optimal solution would be if Draco had a second child with his wife. Therefore, if for any reason Caelum was refused recognition as a legitimate heir, his sibling would still inherit, and could take care of him." she paused, looking very seriously at Luna. "We will do whatever we need to do."

Luna nodded. Message received loud and clear.

"What if Draco refuses to marry me?" She directed the question to his mother.

"Don't worry about that. If he thinks it's for the well being of his son, he'll do it." Narcissa folded her hands in her lap.

The solicitor looked at Luna over his glasses. "To be completely honest with you, you do not have to feel as if you and the boy will be destitute if you choose not to marry Draco. Draco is actually wealthy in his own right, as both sets of his grandparents left legacies for him. In addition, he is the sole heir of Severus Snape's estate. Between the two, you would have a home, Spinner's End, and enough money to live modestly." the solicitor paused. "However, the Malfoy line would die out, the Malfoy estate would be forfeit, and Lucius could demand that the child's name be changed to his mother's surname."

Luna looked from Narcissa to the lawyer and back again. "All right, then let's get him furloughed."

* * *

><p>Harry was on for night shift at the Ministry jail. He was working with Savage tonight, an auror who had known Harry's parents, although he was a few years older. There wasn't much to do, as the prisoners were all asleep, so Harry had begged Savage to tell him about the Potters and Sirius.<p>

In the middle of hearing about the Marauders greasing the dance floor during the Yule Ball, they were interrupted by shouting from down the hall.

Harry started to stand, but Savage laid a hand on his arm.

"He does this every night."

"Which one is it?" Harry asked, even though he was sure he already knew.

"Malfoy." Savage made an annoyed face.

There was a crash from the far cell, and Harry did jump to his feet that time. He ran down the hall, Savage trailing behind him.

Malfoy was thrashing on his bed, screaming for Bella to get away from him, to leave him alone.

"Malfoy!" Harry shouted.

Draco did not answer, but lashed out, as if trying to kick someone. The momentum pulled him off the bed, onto the floor.

Harry unlocked the door. "He's going to hurt himself." he muttered to Savage.

Savage followed Harry into the cell. Harry reached the figure on the floor first.

"Malfoy! Draco! Wake up!" He reached down and touched the prisoner's shoulder.

Harry found himself shoved halfway across the room. Malfoy was up on his hands and knees, eyes open, but obviously not seeing the auror and trainee in the room with him.

"Get the fuck out of here, Bella." he growled.

Savage raised his wand, shouting "Stupefy!"

Malfoy ducked the spell, pointed his hand, and a spark of red shot from his fingertips, barely missing Savage.

"Call for backup!" Savage shouted.

"No!" Harry shouted back. "Just let me ... "

Malfoy fired another spell, nearly hitting Harry that time, screaming something they couldn't quite catch, other than the word "wolf."

Savage apparently sounded the alarm himself, as a moment later there were two apparation cracks outside the cell and Robards and Shacklebolt, the two highest ranking aurors, rushed in.

Malfoy had scrambled into the corner, eyes wild.

"Malfoy!" Shacklebolt said clearly.

He attempted to approach but Draco had placed a shield around himself.

"Just get away from me!" he shouted.

"Sir." Harry addressed Shacklebolt. "Let me go get Luna. She'll know what to do."

Robards looked at Shacklebolt, who nodded.

"Hurry." Robards told him.

Harry dashed out of the cell and apparated directly into the master bedroom at Grimmauld Place. Luna and Caelum of course were asleep.

"Luna!" Harry whispered as loudly as he dared, but Caelum was already waking and starting to whimper. Harry gave up and spoke loudly. "Rinka, stay with the baby! Luna, we need you!"

Luna rubbed her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"It's Malfoy."

She was out of bed in a flash. "What ... "

"I don't know." Harry gasped desperately. "He was having a nightmare, but now he's awake and he thinks Bellatrix is there."

Luna grabbed Harry's arm. "Take me there." She looked over quickly to make sure Rinka had Caelum, and then Harry apparated them both to the Ministry.

"...la, get that fucking wolf out of here!" Draco was yelling ferociously.

"There's no wolf here!" someone said.

"Bellatrix Lestrange is dead." someone else said almost over the top of the first one.

Luna pulled away from Harry and rushed into the cell. Draco cowered in the corner, panting for breath, three aurors standing around unsure what to do.

"Draco." she said softly.

He turned his head, as if he were looking for her but couldn't see her. "Luna?"

"I'm here, sweetheart." she slowly took a step forward, motioning the aurors back. "What happened?"

"Bella came for me. Bella and Greyback. But Bella is dead." he now sounded pitiful, frightened.

"Greyback is dead too. They're not real. If you tell them to leave, they have to go away. They can't hurt you." she soothed gently, taking another step closer.

"Leave me alone." he repeated firmly.

Luna reached the boundary of the shield. "Draco, I can't get to you. You'll have to lower your shield."

"You're not real either, Luna." his voice was heart-wrenchingly sad.

"I am real, Draco. Harry brought me here to help you. I am here." she promised.

The shield fell, but Luna still approached slowly. "I'm here, Draco. Do you want me to come to you?"

"Yes." he whimpered.

Luna knelt by his side and barely touched his hand. "I'm here."

Harry stepped forward, but Luna waved him back. Draco didn't move, so Luna gently touched his cheek. "Come to me, Draco."

His eyes blinked several times, and the other three men in the room could see the difference. There was once again awareness in the grey eyes.

"Luna." he sighed, pulling her against his chest.

"It's okay." she whispered. "You're safe."

He held her so tightly for a moment that Harry was afraid Malfoy was hurting her. Harry started to approach again, but Luna shook her head.

"Draco, let's get out of the floor. You can't be comfortable." she moved slowly, loosening his grip on her, and then slowly standing, pulling him along with her. "Come on, let's sit on the bed."

They sat on the bed, his arms still around her, and he glared at Potter.

"Let me stay with him until he goes to sleep." she looked at the aurors.

Robards and Shacklebolt looked at one another.

"Fine." Robards sighed. "But only until he falls asleep. And someone will be here for your safety."

Luna laid down, pulling Draco down beside her.

Robards nodded toward the door. The other two aurors and the trainee followed him out.

"Savage, stay right outside the door in case he goes off again." he sighed. "I'm going home."

Savage was waiting outside when Luna came from the cell, locking the door behind her.

Harry fell into step beside her as she walked down the hall. "Is he insane?" Harry asked. "Should he be in St Mungos?"

Luna stopped and looked at Harry, tilting her head. "He's been hurt to the point that his nightmares haunt him when he is awake. He probably could use a mind healer, but he won't trust one enough to talk to them."

"Then what do we do?" he frowned.

"Let me come see him. On a regular basis, but especially when he gets like this. He needs to be talked down gently. Otherwise he becomes more and more agitated and violent, and becomes a threat to himself and others." She looked into Harry's eyes, as if willing him to understand.

"Why can't I calm him, tell him that it's not real and that he's safe?" Harry gestured toward the cell with one hand.

"Because he doesn't trust you." Luna looked toward the end of the hall, where Shacklebolt stood waiting, and realized the man was listening to their conversation. "It took months for him to learn to trust me, and he and I never had the antagonistic history that you have with him."

"The Wizengamot hasn't approved him for visitors. They're considering moving him to Azkaban because of his behaviour." Shacklebolt pointed out.

"But I've told you about what he's been through." Luna pleaded. "You understand why he is the way he is. Sending him to Azkaban at this point would be cruel and unusual punishment. He's falling apart here. Azkaban would break him so badly we would never get him back."

Shacklebolt nodded. "I agree with you that moving him to Azkaban would probably be the worst thing we could do to him. I'll see what I can do."

"Harry told me that as of tomorrow, you are the acting Minister of Magic." Luna tilted her head. "I should think you could do quite a lot."

The auror nodded with a smirk. "I will do what I can, but the Minister cannot take up the cause of one prisoner."

"Thank you." she smiled. "Harry, please take me home."

* * *

><p>"Council members." Kingsley Shacklebolt addressed the eleven other Ministry officials gathered around the conference table two days later. "Draco Malfoy has petitioned for a twenty four hour furlough so that he can be married. It seems that young Mr. Malfoy has a child born out of wedlock. Lucius Malfoy is trying to block the child from being named as the Malfoy heir. Draco wishes to marry his girlfriend and the two of them legally adopt the child in order to secure the child's future." he put down the parchment and looked around the table. "I have seen Mr. Malfoy and this young lady together. I have no doubt that the two of them are very much in love and that she was instrumental in his and his family's alignment with the Order during the Battle at Hogwarts. I have spoken with the young lady, and she assures me that she wishes to marry Draco Malfoy of her own free will, that she is not being coerced in any manner."<p>

"I have spoken with her as well." Arthur Weasley added. "I agree with everything Kingsley has said. She sincerely desires to be Draco's wife and the boy's mother permanently, regardless of the outcome of his trial."

"So in other words," Elphias Doge looked over his glasses at the acting Minister. "You're asking us if we will vote to allow young Malfoy to marry to spite his father?"

Kingsley nodded and bit his lip to cover the smirk. "Essentially. All in favor?"

Every hand at the table shot up immediately.


	66. Chapter 64

"Malfoy!"

The blond on the bed didn't move.

"You have visitors!" Williamson shouted.

He still didn't move.

"Duhduh! DuhDUH!"

The prisoner's head jerked up in shock.

"Caelum?"

Luna stood behind the auror, holding a toddler who wriggled, trying to reach his daddy. "Duhduh!"

Draco scrambled to his feet as the auror turned to Luna.

"You know how to summon help if you need it?" Williamson asked.

"We won't need it." she assured.

He stepped out of the way as Draco stepped forward, taking his son from her arms. Caelum shrieked in delight, wrapping his little arms around his daddy's neck, kissing his face sloppily and babbling happily.

"I missed you so much." Draco whispered to the child.

He sat down on the bed, trying to disentangle the baby long enough to look at him. Luna sat down beside them and slid her arms around Draco's waist. He stiffened.

"What?" she asked softly.

He sighed. "My mother and the attorney were here yesterday. They told me everything." he turned to look at her. "You don't have to do this. The war is over. You're free now. No one would blame you if you didn't want to be saddled with an inmate husband and a crippled child."

She pulled away from him abruptly. "You listen to me, Draco Malfoy. Don't you ever talk about my son that way again. And no, I know I don't have to do this. But I want to. I love you. I love Caelum. I want to marry you. I want you home with us, but I still want you even if I have to come here to see you. And I'll be damned if I'll let anyone take my son's name away from him. It doesn't matter if you were married when he was born or not. He's still a Malfoy."

He looked at her sadly. "You say that now. But when I'm spending the rest of my life in Azkaban, and someone else comes along who loves you like you deserve ... "

"Just stop." she said firmly. "You're not going to serve life in Azkaban. Your mother and I are doing everything we can to get you out. You're going to come home and be with us and we're going to have Scorpius."

"I wish I could believe all that." he murmured.

"I'll believe enough for both of us." she whispered.

"Duhduh!" Caelum patted his daddy's face, clearly perturbed at not getting the attention he wanted.

Draco kissed his cheek, making the child giggle.

"He's growing." Draco commented to Luna.

"Yeah." she nodded.

She reached into the bag she brought and produced a bowl with a lid. Caelum's eyes lit up when he saw it.

"On bye!" he cried, reaching for it.

"What did he say?" Draco asked.

"He said he wants a bite." Luna smiled, opening the container and offering Caelum a handful of little round things.

"What are you feeding him?" Draco frowned. "It looks like cat food."

"It's a muggle cereal. They're called Cheerios." Luna held out the dish as Caelum grabbed another handful. "Molly Weasley has been spoiling him. And how do you know what cat food looks like, anyway?"

"Detention with Filch." Draco snorted.

"Try one." she popped one of the little circles into Draco's mouth before he could protest.

He chewed carefully. "It's okay."

"Dudduh bye." Caelum laughed and tried to stuff more Cheerios into Draco's mouth.

His father frowned as two pieces of cereal disappeared down the front of his shirt. "I think we've had enough of those for now."

Luna put away the bowl while Draco distracted Caelum by growling and pretending to bite his tummy.

They had another ten minutes together, so they sat on the bed and played together, the three of them. Williamson came too soon to tell them that their time was up. Caelum cried and tried to cling to Draco. Draco kissed them both and told them he loved them. Luna promised they would be back as soon as they were allowed.

It took several minutes of Luna trying in vain to shush the child before she gave up and gave him the sippy cup with the drop of calming draught in it. A few minutes later, he settled enough that she was able to take him to the first cell on the other hallway.

"Daddy."

Luna barely stepped into the cell before she was enveloped in a warm hug.

"My Luna! I've missed you so much! And who is this?" Xeno Lovegood's eyes widened as he saw the child in her arms.

"This is Caelum." she smiled.

Xeno reached over and shook Caelum's tiny hand, which made him giggle. "And how do you do, Mr. Caelum?"

Her father looked at Luna, waiting for an explanation. Caelum snuggled into her shoulder, yawning, but watching the stranger curiously.

"Let's sit down, Daddy." once they took seats on the bed, Caelum in Luna's lap with his dragon, she continued. "I took care of Caelum while I was at Malfoy Manor."

"He was telling the truth." Xeno said, almost to himself.

"Who was telling what truth?" Luna tilted her head.

"A Death Eater came to the house one night. He said you were the nanny of a child in the household and you were being treated well. He said he wanted to reassure me because he was a father too." Xeno frowned, remembering.

A lump formed in Luna's throat.

"Oh pumpkin, it's all right. It's all over now." her father soothed, thinking her reaction was due to recalling her captivity. "So why is the boy still with you?"

"His mother died." Luna answered slowly. "I'm going to adopt him. I'm his mummy now."

"Are you sure about this?" Her father asked. "You're very young. You still have another year of school."

"This is my child." Luna answered softly but firmly. "No one is going to take him from me. There's no school to go back to, but I probably wouldn't anyway, after everything that's happened."

"What about the child's father?" her father nodded at the baby.

"I'm going to marry him." She answered softly.

"Luna … " he shook his head.

"Don't tell me I'm too young." She frowned. "Unfortunately, with all that we've been through, both of us are far more mature than our ages."

"Is he seventeen too?" Xeno asked.

"He'll be eighteen in a few weeks." She shrugged. "But he's been forced to be an adult for a very long time."

"Is he a Death Eater?"

She sighed. "He was the son of a Death Eater. He was forced to take the mark, but he was never one of them. Voldemort tried to call him over to his side at the last battle but he refused to go."

"You're marrying Draco Malfoy?" Xeno's eyes widened. "No, Luna."

"I love him, Daddy. And he loves me. " She insisted.

"He's a pureblood. A racist blood supremacist. And the son of the biggest arse at Hogwarts in my days." Xeno's expression darkened.

"He is a pureblood." Luna repeated. "But he's not his father. And talking about him like that makes you just as judgmental as what you claim he is."

Her father looked properly chastised.

Luna's shoulders slumped. "I love you Daddy. I don't want to fight with you. But Draco and Caelum are going to be my future, and I need you to accept that."

Xeno's eyes filled with tears. "It's a lot to throw on me at once." He shook his head. "Give me some time to get used to the idea. And I want to get to know Malfoy for myself. Because if he's not good to you … "

Luna hugged her father. "I love you Daddy."

* * *

><p>Luna flooed from the Ministry to the Leaky Cauldron, where she and Caelum climbed the stairs to knock at the door of room 14. Mimsy opened the door, showing them in to the room. Narcissa sat at the small table in the corner, pouring tea. She smiled, waving for them to join her.<p>

"Gam!" Caelum cried, and a genuinely delighted smile flickered across his grandmother's face.

"He's doing so well." Narcissa said as Luna strapped Caelum into the high chair she had had brought upstairs.

"He's outgrowing his clothes, and he's picked up a few new words." Luna announced proudly. She put a half sandwich and a few bites of fruit on the tray in front of him.

"How did things go today?" Narcissa asked before taking a dainty sip of her tea.

"Draco of course told me I didn't have to go through with it. He's back to believing that at some point, I'm going to leave him. Of course, now he believes it's because he's going to spend the rest of his life in Azkaban, and I'll meet someone else." Luna took a bite of her sandwich, chewing thoughtfully. She looked up to find Narcissa still watching her. "My father of course was quite concerned, believes we're too young and all that, not to mention the fact that it's Draco Malfoy that I told him I was going to marry. Draco's reputation rather proceeds him, and apparently my father and Lucius weren't exactly friends in school."

"The Ministry owled just a bit ago." Narcissa nodded toward a parchment on the table. They've given permission to have him furloughed. The solicitor has to go down to the Ministry to work out the details. I'm thinking about two to three weeks. They'll have to appoint someone as Draco's guardian while he's out of custody, and we're going to ask for a little bit of time to work out the details of the wedding, such as a dress,and the legal details." She looked at Luna over the top of her teacup. "Of course, it takes at least a week to brew the potion."

Luna frowned. "Draco's going to be furious when he finds out."

Narcissa smirked. "He won't stay angry long. And trust me, in this case, it will be easier to get forgiveness than permission."

"I did think of one thing." Luna still looked troubled. "What if Lucius refuses to recognize my marriage to Draco? Caelum will still be illegitimate."

"You're going to be legally married, by the Ministry, with all the proper wizarding licenses and what not." Narcissa answered. "The only way Lucius could prevent Draco's legitimate children from inheriting would be to disown Draco."

"He could do that." Luna breathed.

"He won't." Narcissa assured her.

"Why not?" Luna tilted her head.

"Because Lucius wants to stay married. More tea?"

* * *

><p>Harry walked up and down both hallways when he reported for duty that night, because it just seemed like something a good auror should do.<p>

He paused when he looked into the last cell on the second hall. Malfoy wasn't sitting on his bed, staring at the floor. He was sitting at the table, reading a book.

"You can stop staring." the blond called, not even looking up.

"Sorry." Harry answered automatically. "You just look ... better."

"Whatever." Draco flipped a page.

"I heard you slept better the past couple nights." Harry continued. "I'm sure that's helped."

Draco flipped the book over facedown on the table and glared at his guard. "Is there a point to this?"

Harry shrugged. "It's just ... I don't know. The aurors, a few days ago, were arguing over what to do with you, whether to send you to Azkaban or St Mungos. Whether you were crazy or just acting out. Then we bring Luna around to see you a couple times, and you're almost back to being yourself."

The two looked at each other for a long awkward moment. Harry with curiousity, Draco with annoyance.

"Is the therapy session over, Potter?" Draco snapped.

"Sorry." Harry looked away, but spoke again as Draco reached for his book. "Caelum, he's a pretty cool kid."

"Yeah, he's amazing." Draco replied, his eyes and his voice going soft.

"Luna told him at breakfast this morning he was going to see you today. He was so excited, singing and bouncing in his chair. Luna was trying to finish her breakfast and each time she went to take a bite, he yelled no. He wanted her to stop so they go leave right then." Harry smiled at the memory.

Draco smiled for a fraction of a second before his expression fell into a frown. "You're staying with the Weasleys too?" he asked. "Who all is there?"

"Oh, I was, we all were." Harry shrugged again. "Last week Ron and Hermione left for Australia. She sent her parents there for the past year to keep them safe. I came home to Grimmauld Place, Sirius Black's old house. It's mine now. Luna and Caelum came with me. They ..."

Draco was in front of the door before Harry had time to react. One thin arm snaked between the bars to grab the auror uniform right under the collar.

"Get the fuck away from me." Draco hissed. "And when you go home to my so called fiancee, tell her nice fucking try but the wedding is off."


	67. Chapter 65

Harry stopped by Draco's cell a while later, hoping that the prisoner had calmed down somewhat.

Malfoy sat on the bed, staring at the floor again.

"Malfoy."

The blond head snapped up, his face darkened in fury to the point Harry unconsciously took a step backwards. There were actually sparks of accidental magic snapping around Draco's head, he was so angry.

Harry backed away slowly, keeping an eye on the cell door, almost waiting for something to explode from within.

He wasn't surprised two hours later when Malfoy's screaming woke the entire floor. This nightmare was different than the previous one, in that Malfoy seemed furious rather than frightened. He was shouting about killing someone, struggling with his sheets and pillow.

"Should you go get Luna?" Savage asked as the auror and trainee watched from the cell door as Draco threw wandless hexes at an opponent who only existed in his mind.

Harry shook his head. "I think he's too dangerous tonight."

Savage stalked down the hallway to the other corridor, stopping in front of the second cell.

"How do we snap him out of … that!" Savage asked the sleepy woman staring back at him, waving his hand and gesturing toward Draco's general direction.

"What makes you think I know?" the stout woman narrowed her eyes at the guard.

"Because you spent a lot of time in that house." Savage roared back. "Now, do you want to get some sleep tonight, or do you want to let him keep going, because we know he can do this for hours, and this is the worst one I've seen from him."

Mrs. Goyle stared at him for a long moment before giving in with a sigh. "Normally Luna could just talk him out of it. But Narcissa told me once that Luna couldn't wake him, so one of the house elves threw cold water on him."

Savage nearly ran back to the far end of the other hall.

Potter looked up from where he had been keeping watch at the cell door. "If anything, he's getting worse." Harry muttered.

"Cover me." Savage murmured, before poking his wand through the cell door. "Aquamenti."

Draco, thoroughly doused, froze for a moment, then charged at the cage door. Harry threw a shield over himself and his partner a second before a flash of light hit the barrier.

Malfoy glared at them, seething in anger, then turned and stomped back across the cell. He paced several laps in front of the back wall, then threw himself onto the bed, which Harry had quietly dried, not looking toward the door.

"When I came on duty, Williamson said he was acting like normal person. Now he's back to acting like a caged animal." Savage turned and started to walk away. "A wounded caged animal, even."

* * *

><p>Harry got home as the sun rose. He found Luna already up, feeding Caelum his breakfast.<p>

"What's wrong?" she asked.

He sighed. "I don't know what I did, but I made Malfoy angry. He said to tell you he was calling off the wedding."

"Tell me everything." she shook her head.

Harry repeated the conversation as best he could remember word for word. Luna listened through, and then asked Rinka to watch Caelum. She changed and flooed to the Ministry. Harry offered to come with her, but she told him that he had probably best stay out of the way.

She was prepared to fight with the aurors to see him without an appointment, but apparently word had already gotten around that Draco was back to being hostile and hateful, so Kingsley Shacklebolt escorted her down to the cell at once.

He sat on the bed, staring at the floor. His breakfast tray was untouched on the table.

Shacklebolt hesitated for a moment, but Luna nodded to him that she would be all right, so he reluctantly left them alone.

"Draco." she said softly.

He looked up. He wasn't angry, as she had expected. Instead, his eyes were full of hurt, an absolute soul deep desolation that made her ache to hold him. She held back, realizing how volatile his emotions were at the moment.

"Come to gloat, have you?" There was a slight edge to his voice, a hardness under the layers of pain.

"Draco, I don't even know why you're so upset. Harry told me ... "

The mention of Potter's name was all it took for the anger to appear in his eyes. "_Harry_ told you. There you go. My Uncle Sev warned me there was a Potter waiting to take you away. You couldn't even wait until I was shipped off to Azkaban?"

"What are you on about?" Luna asked, genuinely puzzled.

"Oh come on, Luna. The game is over. It was a brilliant plan, but Golden Boy tipped your hand a little to soon." Draco snorted.

"Would you mind telling me what was a brilliant plan?" she still looked at him in confusion.

He rolled his eyes. "You trick me into marrying you before I get shipped off to Azkaban. Then you and Potter can live happily ever after off the Malfoy money." He became more and more agitated as he spoke. "Does Potter know you lost your virginity with me? Or was that part of the plan, what you were willing to do to manipulate me into thinking you loved me? Were you a spy for Potter's side all along, deep undercover within the Death Eaters?"

"Draco." she shook her head. On one hand, she was stunned that he had deduced all this. On the other, she realized she probably shouldn't have been surprised. He had been manipulated and abused and abandoned by so many people in his life. "It's nothing like that."

"You're living with Potter." he pronounced slowly and carefully. "He told me last night."

"Yes." she agreed. "That doesn't make any of the rest of your theory true."

"You tell me you love _me_, but you're living with Potter!" he cried.

"_Caelum_ and I are staying in the same house as Harry Potter for the moment, but we have our own room. Actually, we have our own _floor."_ she replied calmly.

"Why did you move in with Harry Potter?" his voice had come down just a fraction.

"Because we had nowhere else to go for the moment." she realized as she said the words that he probably didn't know that. "My house was blown up by the Death Eaters. The Ministry is processing your house as a crime scene, and even the house elves aren't allowed to be there while they're working. It may be another week or two before Caelum and I can go home. The Weasleys would have let us stay there, but it was overwhelming for Caelum, having so many people around when he's used to how it was in the nursery at the Manor, just us and rather quiet."

"But why Harry Potter?" he continued. "Why not my Aunt Andromeda, or one of your friends, or stay at an inn, or _anything_ else?"

"Do you realize that the Wizengamot hasn't cleared you to have visitors yet?" she tilted her head at him.

"No." he looked thoughtful for a moment. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

She shook her head. "Who is the one person with enough pull in the wizarding world to get me in to see you three times before you've been cleared to have visitors?"

She watched the first hint of comprehension dawn on his face.

"Harry Potter." she continued. "He's helped me to help you. You probably would be in Azkaban now if it wasn't for Harry."

"But you were his date for Slughorn's Christmas party." Draco was starting to look confused now.

"Yes, and you were Pansy's date for the Yule Ball." Luna nodded. She walked over to kneel by his feet and take his hand. "I love you Draco. I didn't lie, and I'm not going to change my mind because you're not physically with me. You and Caelum are my family and my future. Whether we're all together, or whether you do end up going to prison. I promised I wouldn't leave you, remember?"

"People break promises all the time." he said, but the anger was gone from his voice. The hurt was back.

"Other people break promises." she assured him, reaching up to kiss him gently. "You're stuck with me."

He kissed her again and smiled. "Are you really exploiting your friendship with Potter to help me?"

"Yes." she smiled back at him.

"You're turning into such a good little Slytherin." he teased.

"I learned from the best." she moved to sit beside him on the bed, wrapping her arms around him. "Does this mean the wedding is back on?"

He kissed her again. "Only if you promise me something."

"What's that?" she kissed him one more time.

"Move back to the Manor as soon as you can. I don't want Potter living with my family when I can't." he almost kept the whine out of his voice. Almost.

"I will." she nodded. "But there's nothing to worry about. I don't think of Harry like that at all. Besides, he can't make up his mind if he wants to go after Ginny Weasley or try to get back together with Cho Chang. I'm not going to get into the middle of that drama."

"Which one do you think he should go after?" Draco asked.

"Why?" Luna looked at him curiously.

"Because I know you have an opinion and I want to see how your mind works on this one." he kissed her again.

"Ginny. Because Cho wouldn't stand up to him when he needs it. Cho is ... fragile, I guess. She would be better suited with Dean." Luna tilted her head and gave him a dreamy smile. "I may work on that."

"Good." Draco pulled her down to lay against his chest on the bed. "Pair everyone else off so no one tried to take you away from me."

"I wouldn't go anyway." she snuggled against him.

"Slytherins always like extra insurance." he grinned.

They laid together, crushed together on the narrow cot. She tilted her head up and kissed him again, sliding her hand up his back to tangle in his hair.

"Don't start." he murmured when they broke for air. "Because I'll want to finish and there's no privacy here."

"I wish I could take you home right now." she sighed.

"Me too."

They laid there, just holding one another, until Williamson finally came and told Luna it was time to go.


	68. Chapter 66

Harry, having been on duty all night, was of course asleep by the time Luna got home, so she had to wait until evening to speak with him.

"The wedding is back on." she said simply, with a hint of a smile.

"Luna." Harry sighed. "You can't marry him. He's psychotic."

"He's not." she shook her head. "He's just damaged. But I'm fixing him."

"Do you even know why he went mad last night?" Harry asked.

Luna nodded. "It's fine now. He was afraid you were taking me away from him."

"Luna, he's dangerous. And this ... obsession ... with you ... it's not normal. People who act like that are the ones who end up killing their spouses one day." Harry pleaded.

"Not Draco." she asserted. "He's much more likely to turn his anger inward. He's more likely to hurt himself. Tha ... "

"Do you really think that's better?" Harry cried. "What happens if he tries to hurt himself and hurts you or Caelum in the process? How much are you going to be hurt mentally if you walk in and find him dead from a suicide one day?"

"That's why I have to keep helping him." Luna finished. "He's not beyond redemption."

"I wish I could believe that." Harry snorted, shoving himself out of the chair.

Her voice stopped him as he reached the doorway. "Harry."

He turned to look.

"Why did you ask Caelum and me to come here?" she said softly.

"Because I wanted to be alone, but I didn't want to be alone." he answered honestly. "I knew you could understand that."

"I do." she nodded. "So please try to understand me."

He nodded in return, and padded off to the kitchen.

* * *

><p>The following day Draco was led by Shacklebolt and Zimmerman up to the Wizengamot chambers.<p>

His solicitor waited for him next to the accused's chair. His mother and Luna sat in the gallery.

Some squinty eyed little man who had probably known Salazar Slytherin personally read off a list of all the crimes Draco was accused of.

It took a lot longer than he anticipated.

They started with his underage practicing dark magic under the Dark Lord and Bella's tutelage the summer before sixth year. It continued with all the things he had done at school that year, including the attacks on Katie Bell and Ron Weasley, his use of the Imperius, unauthorized construction of an entrance to Hogwarts, assault against the members of Dumbledore's Army who tried to oppose the Death Eaters, and conspiracy to commit the murder of Albus Dumbledore, as well as accessory to the murder. He was even named as a party in the attack on Bill Weasley, as he was the one who let Greyback into the castle. They named off every raid Draco had participated in, the Unforgivables he had cast, and accused him of being involved in the kidnappings of Mr. Ollivander, Dean Thomas, the Goblin Griphook, and Luna Lovegood. He looked over at Luna when the justice spoke that charge, to receive a reassuring smile from the supposed victim. After a long while, they finally concluded with the events of the last night at Hogwarts, including unauthorized entry into the school and three counts of attempted murder in the Room of Requirement.

His attorney pleaded not guilty on his behalf, and the chief warlock pronounced Draco bound over for trial.

"Your Honor, we ask that Mr. Malfoy be released on bond pending trial." The lawyer continued.

"Really?" the old man took off his reading glasses and looked at Draco and his attorney. "Should we have someone from St Mungo's evaluate Counsel's mental status?"

"Your Honor, Mr. Malfoy was acting under coercion, intimidation, and undue duress inflicted upon him by Voldemort and the Death Eaters. He is not a danger to society and does not pose a flight risk. The Ministry resources are already being taxed to house so many prisoners. We wish to slightly alleviate the Ministry's burden by proposing Mr. Malfoy be sentenced to house arrest pending trial." The lawyer said authoritatively.

"Mr. Greystoke, we just spent almost an hour reading the list of charges against the defendant, including six counts of attempted murder ... "

"Seven counts of attempted murder." a frizzy haired witch in the third row corrected.

"SEVEN counts of attempted murder, four kidnappings, and so many uses of Unforgivable curses that I lost count. Do I need to repeat them?" The judge looked supremely annoyed.

"No, Your Honor." The lawyer nodded solemnly. "However, if Mr. Malfoy is not to be released, we wish to petition the court that he continue to be incarcerated at the Ministry holding area rather than Azkaban, and that he be granted liberal visitation privileges."

The warlock looked to Kingsley Shacklebolt. "And what is the Auror Office's position on Mr. Malfoy's request?"

Shacklebolt stood. "The Auror Department would have no objection. Mr. Malfoy has been cooperative for the most part and has not caused any unreasonable disturbances for the staff."

The judge quirked an eyebrow. "So he has caused some sort of disturbance?"

"Mr. Malfoy has nightmares and has awakened the other prisoners on a few occasions." Shacklebolt glanced toward the accused. "Not at all uncommon or unexpected under the circumstances, and certainly not anything the Auror Department feels he should be held accountable for. We are working to get him the help he needs to deal with his nightmares and to reduce the disruption caused to the other prisoners."

"I daresay this war has caused most of us a few nightmares." The judge nodded. "Very well, if there is no objection, Mr. Malfoy shall remain in the custody of the Auror Department, pending his trial, which shall be scheduled in due order by the Wizengamot."

The man banged his gavel and dismissed the proceedings.

Draco had just enough time to see Luna mouth "I love you" as he was bustled out of the courtroom.

* * *

><p>His mother came to see him later that afternoon.<p>

He was on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

"I'll never see daylight again." he whispered.

"We're going to get you out." Narcissa sat beside him on the bed.

"You must be mad." he muttered, rolling over to face the wall. "I have almost 400 charges against me."

"Just trust me, Draco. Luna and I are working on this." she smoothed his hair as she used to do when he was a child.

"If I go to Azkaban, I'll take myself out when I get there." he said. "I won't have Luna and Caelum spend the rest of their lives in shame. She can find someone better."

His mother leaned down to kiss his cheek. "She doesn't think there is anyone better for her. She loves you." she sat up to look at him. "She wants to marry you and have another baby. She says you want that too. That you even had the name picked out for your second son."

"Not with me here." he grumbled. "If we had gotten away. If we had run while we had the chance, had left the country ... "

"You knew you would never be free." Narcissa told him gently. "That's why you didn't run when you had the chance. You would have spent the rest of your lives looking over your shoulders, afraid to open the door. That wouldn't have been a good life for any of you."

He huffed but didn't answer.

"Sweetheart, we will do everything in our power to bring you home. But if the worst happens, and you do go to prison, it's not the end of the world. You've faced worse. At least you'll have Luna standing behind you. We can arrange for her to have overnight visits sometimes. You can see your children ... "

He turned his head sharply. "Children? Is she ... ?"

"No." his mother shook her head. "She was rather disappointed that she wasn't. But if you have overnight visits with her, you can have more children."

He faced the wall again. "Not if I'm here. I won't have Luna trying to raise more than one fatherless child."

"They won't be fatherless." she promised him. "They just wouldn't be able to live with their father. They would still know you, and you would be a part of their lives."

"NO, Mother." he insisted. "I will NOT have another child if I'm not going to be there."

"Draco," she sighed.

"I said no, Mother." he repeated.

There was a discreet cough at the cell door. "Mrs. Malfoy, your time is up." Kingsley Shacklebolt waited for her.

She leaned down and kissed his cheek again. "I love you son." she whispered.

"I love you too Mother." he repeated by rote, still staring at the wall.


	69. Chapter 67

"Malfoy! Visitor!" the guard announced._  
><em>

The prisoner looked up with bored disinterest, flipping his long hair over his shoulder with practiced grace.

"Cissy." he greeted coolly, glaring at the guard, who slowly backed away.

She stepped forward, greeting him with a soft kiss.

"You look well." he murmured.

"I wish I could say the same for you." she murmured, her hand gliding over the rough beard on his cheek.

"How is Draco?" he asked.

Tears sprang to her eyes. "He was formally charged today. There are 383 counts against him. He's given up. He said that when he goes to Azkaban, he'll kill himself."

Lucius' jaw clenched and he leaned his head against the wall.

"He has Luna. If anyone can convince him not to do it, she will." Narcissa said.

Lucius snorted indelicately. "I never thought I would be glad of my son having a blood traitor mistress."

"He's going to marry her." she told him.

"The hell he will!" Lucius snapped. "No son of mine is going to marry trash like that."

"She's not trash." Narcissa drew her brows together. "Her pedigree is almost as good as Draco's. The Connollys are one of the oldest wizarding families in Ireland. And you and I both know why you bullied Xeno Lovegood all through Hogwarts. Because he should have been the Malfoy heir, rather than you. His grandfather was your grandfather's _elder_ brother."

"Yes, but Andromachus Malfoy was disowned and changed his name to Andrew Lovegood." Lucius sneered. "Thereby rendering himself a bastard. And Aislynn Connolly's family disowned her for marrying into such a family."

"Luna came to Draco pure. He loves her. She's been good for him, after what he went through with Bella." Narcissa argued.

"That doesn't change her background. He can keep her for a mistress and she can continue be good for him, but he _will_ marry a respectable pureblood with no disowned ancestors and produce a suitable child to carry on the Malfoy family name." Lucius narrowed his eyes at his wife.

"He will marry Luna and they will adopt Caelum. He is your grandson and he will be the Malfoy heir." Narcissa glared right back at him.

"I can change the clause to disallow adopted children." Lucius smirked.

"Then Draco and Luna will have another child." Narcissa folded her arms in challenge. "They will be legally married. You can't block his legitimate children from inheriting."

"I will disown Draco if it comes to it." Lucius growled. "He knows his duty to this family."

"You will not disown Draco." Narcissa said confidently.

Lucius stood, towering intimidatingly over his wife. "Are you threatening me, Narcissa?"

"No." she refused to be cowed. "I'm making you a promise. If you disown _my son_, you will never see me again, other than at your trial, where I will testify against you. We both know that I know enough to get you The Kiss."

Lucius' eyes widened and his nostrils flared. "I thought you loved me." he hissed.

"I do." she didn't back down an inch. "But I love my son, who is facing 383 criminal charges because of you. And I love being Lady Malfoy. If you disinherit my son, upon his death or permanent incarceration, I become homeless."

"You would do this to me, Cissy? After 22 years of marriage, you would testify against me?" he asked in disbelief.

"If you force me to." she answered.

* * *

><p><em>"Draco."<em>

_"You're not real." He told her. "You're dead."_

_"You're going to Azkaban." She informed him in a singsong voice. "Maybe they'll put you in my old cell."_

_"It doesn't matter." He said. "You won't be there. You're dead."_

_"I'll be there Draco." She whispered, leaning close enough that her breath should have been brushing his ear. "I'll be right beside you. You won't be able to get away from me. You'll be locked in there with me, forever." Her ghostly hand slid across his chest. "Just me and you forever. And no one pays attention in Azkaban when you scream. None of your little aurors will try to make you shut up. They won't even come to see what's wrong. No one cares what anyone does to you in there."_

_"You're not real." He insisted. "You won't really be there."_

_"Oh, but I will, Draco." Her fingers curled around the back of his neck. "Everywhere you look, you'll see me. You'll always be Auntie Bella's boy. Your little blood traitor won't be able to save you in there."_

_"Leave me alone, Bella!" he cried, trying to back away, but he couldn't get away from her._

_"You don't really want me to leave you alone. You like what we do." She nuzzled his neck. "And if I wasn't here, you would be all alone."_

_"Leave me alone!" he repeated, trying to push her away. "You're mad! And you're dead!"_

_She held on like she was fixed with a permanent sticking charm._

_"Madness is such a lovely place." She murmured, dropping little kisses against his skin. "You're never lonely there. And death isn't that bad either. It's much quieter than madness. But a bit boring."_

_"Bella!" he roared. "Go away! You're dead!"_

_She was unbuttoning his shirt. He tried to fight her off, but he couldn't move. The panic was taking over. A sound between a sob and a growl escaped his lips._

_"Draco."_

_"Luna?" he tried to turn toward her voice but he didn't know where it was coming from. "Luna, help me!"_

_"I'm right here, Draco." She answered softly. "Come to me, sweetheart."_

He opened his eyes to find her beside him, sitting on the side of the narrow bed. He was still in his cell in the Ministry. He looked around. They were alone.

"Potter brought you here again?" he asked needlessly.

"You needed me." she shrugged.

"Then why didn't he bring you last night?" Draco frowned.

"He was afraid you would hurt me, how angry you were. He said you were sparking unintentional magic last night." she laid down beside him, snuggling against him.

"I probably was." Draco agreed. "I can't remember the last time I was that angry."

"You're not angry tonight." she observed.

"No." he tightened his arms around her.

"You're afraid." she whispered.

"I'm going to Azkaban." he murmured. "I knew it all along, but now ... "

"We're going to do everything we can to keep you out of there." she promised.

"Bella was in my dream." he said. "She ... " he trailed off, looking toward the cell door.

"We're alone." she assured him. "Harry and Savage are busy. They said I could stay as long as I needed."

He swallowed, still looking toward the door.

"You're safe. She can't hurt you. I won't let anyone hurt you." Luna vowed.

"She was in my dream. She said she would be with me in Azkaban. That I could never get away from her." he shuddered. "She said no one would come when I scream there. That no one would care what she did to me."

"She's gone, Draco." Luna soothed. "She can't ever hurt you again." she tipped his chin down and gently kissed his lips. "I wish I could erase what she did to you in the past." She kissed him again.

He groaned deep in his throat and opened his mouth, deepening the kiss. Their tongues met and their bodies strained to get closer to one another. Draco's hand slide down Luna's side, finding the curve of her hip and pulling her leg over his.

Her hand came up to his chest, and she drew back.

"Wrong time of the month." she whispered. "But in a few days, you could have another nightmare, and I could come here ... "

"Are you still taking the potion?" he asked.

She didn't answer.

"Luna." he sighed. "We can't take the chance. You have to take the potion again."

"I want us to have Scorpius." she whispered, her eyes full of tears.

"I do too, but not with me locked up." he kissed her gently. "I'm not going to take a chance on making you pregnant."

"We're going to be married." she pleaded.

"But you're going to be alone with Caelum, because I'm going to be in Azkaban." he argued. "I'm not going to leave you alone with two children. Because Caelum is going to need a lot of care. And because one day, you're going to find someone else."

"I promised you that day in the blue sitting room that I wouldn't leave you." she laid her head against his chest. "I know you don't believe me because everyone else leaves you, but I will prove it to you."

They laid there in the quiet until Draco drifted off to sleep. Luna stayed with him for another hour before she reluctantly went home.


	70. Chapter 68

A/N - We get to see the rest of what happened in Bella's room with the chair that day in this chapter. I'll warn you now, it's rather graphic. If you don't want to read it, just skip the part in italics.

* * *

><p>Kingsley Shacklebolt came straight to Draco's cell the next morning. Harry Potter, The Boy Who Couldn't Keep His Nose Out of Other People's Business Lately, tagged along, about to go off duty.<p>

"The Ministry has worked out the details on your marriage. The ceremony will take place on the fifth of June, which I understand is your birthday." Shacklebolt informed him. "I will be performing the ceremony as the acting Minister of Magic, in my office upstairs. You will be allowed to return to Malfoy Manor for twenty four hours after the ceremony. Mr. Potter will be your custodian. Luna's father, if he isn't freed at his hearing the day after tomorrow, will be permitted to attend. Your Uncle Rabastan has requested to be allowed to attend. That request is being considered by the Wizengamot. Your father has … declined … to attend." Draco nodded."Is there anyone else you would like to be present for your marriage?" Shacklebolt asked.

The expression on Malfoy's face didn't change, but Harry saw rage and sadness pass through his eyes.

Instantly suspicious, he cast a legilimens quickly. Malfoy was caught off guard, and it took him a moment to raise his defenses. That moment was long enough to see a few snippets.

Lucius telling his son what a disappointment he was.

Lucius calling his grandson "that sickly bastard child."

Severus Snape bringing Draco a potion for Caelum's lungs.

A young Draco's childish voice calling "Father, please!" as Lucius walked away.

Severus Snape, hovering over Draco's bed, his face as impassive as always but his eyes full of concern.

Draco had recovered enough by this point to shove Harry out of his mind and slam the door with an almost audible bang.

Harry stared at the taller boy, wide eyed, stunned at the new understanding he had of Malfoy's world.

* * *

><p>As the field investigations were winding down, more aurors were taking turns guarding the prisoners at the Ministry.<p>

Some of the new ones didn't seem to appreciate their new duties.

"They're going to love you in Azkaban." MacGruder taunted Draco on his second day of guard duty. "Pretty little boy like you, you know what they're going to do to you." He barked out a sneering laugh. "You'll be someone's bitch by the end of the first day."

Malfoy sat on the bed motionless, not looking at the guard, but his hands had begun to shake. Seeing that he was getting a reaction, the auror carried on.

"You didn't think about all that when you were playing big bad Death Eater, did you? Never thought about the people you were hurting. Never thought you would get caught and go to Azkaban. They took the Dementors away from Azkaban, but the guards there now aren't much better. Washed up aurors that couldn't cut it. They don't have anything to lose, unless you escape. No one will care about you there. No one will care if anyone hurts you, whether it's a prisoner or a guard. You'd better get used to it, rich boy. All your father's money won't get you anything in there."

Malfoy had begun to tremble.

"There are men there who spent 20 years or more with the Dementors. They're barely even human any more. They won't hesitate to break you in a second." MacGruder laughed. "They're going to be all over your tight little arse. You'll probably get passed around so much the first week or two you won't even be able to sit in a chair. Little badarse Death Eater, training teenagers to hurt people. When you get to Azkaban, you're the one who will be taught a lesson."

_"Maybe you need to be taught a lesson."_

_Bella was looming over him, still fully dressed, her wand in her hand, while he had been stripped naked and tied to the chair in her room. Something told him this would be worse than anything she had done to him before._

_His eyes widened. "No! Bella, I'm sorry! I don't even know why you're angry!"_

_"Because you can't do any fucking thing right!" she shouted. "You're just like your father! Except he got_ you_ somehow!"_

_"What are you talking about?" Draco shook his head in confusion._

_"If you ever get caught and sent to Azkaban, do you know what they're going to do to you?" she sneered. "They're gonna fuck you so hard you'll think someone's dick is going to come out of your nose. It doesn't matter how much you scream, or fight, or beg for help. No one is going to help you. Because you're a Death Eater. So you had better learn to do things right, and watch yourself so you don't get caught."_

_She flicked her wand and shifted him in the chair, so that his bum was hanging off the front edge, and he was tied more tightly than before, so he really couldn't move at all._

_"I'm going to show you what happens to boys who don't do what they're supposed to." she taunted._

_She twirled her wand in her hand and it changed, transfiguring into a longer, straighter, thicker piece of wood._

_Draco's eyes widened, and panic gripped him. "No Bella! NO!"_

_She shoved what used to be her wand into him without preparation. Tears sprang to his eyes. Motherfuck, it hurt._

_"This is what's going to happen to you in Azkaban." she snarled, thrusting the weapon in and out._

_He cried out and she laughed._

_"You had better learn now to do what you're supposed to do, or learn how to take it like a man."_

_His throat was raw from screaming, but she kept hurting him. After a few minutes, she grasped his cock with her left hand, roughly pulling and stroking, still assaulting him with her right hand. _

_He was sobbing by this point. "Bella, please. I'll do whatever you want from now on. Please, STOP!"_

_Two hands roughly grabbed his arms and shook him. He looked around in confusion, wondering how that was possible. He couldn't even move, and Bella was still crouched between his legs._

_"Malfoy!"_

_"Potter?" his panic increased even more than he thought was possible. Of all people to see Bella do this to him, not Harry Fucking Potter. "No! Go AWAY!"_

_"Bloody Hell. I'm going to get Luna. Someone get Shacklebolt."_

_Bella laughed. "Keep screaming. No one will help you. You're acting like a little girl, and they're going to fuck you like one."_

_"Draco."_

_"Luna." he cried in relief. "Make her stop."_

_"Draco, come back to me. It's not real. She's dead. It's over."_

_"I can't move!" he shrieked in panic. "I'm tied to the chair!"_

_"I'm going to help you. I'm going to untie you." she said softly._

_"Get out of here!" Luna hissed but Draco knew she wasn't talking to him. Bella disappeared._

_He felt gentle fingers on first his right wrist, then his left, taking each hand and laying it on his lap gently._

_"I've got you." she whispered. "You're safe now. You can come back to me."_

He blinked several times, coming back to awareness. He was in the cell in the Ministry basement, sitting on his bed with Luna kneeling on the bed beside him. She looked over at the door and motioned with her head. Draco looked up in time to see a flash of dark hair moving away.

He pulled her into his lap, buried his face in her neck, and just trembled.

"Don't ever let me go." he whispered.

"What happened?" she asked softly, her hand coming up to cup the back of his neck.

"Use legilimency on me." he murmured.

'What?" she pulled back to look at him.

"I can't say the words. But I'll show you in my mind." he looked at her with the most trust she had ever seen in his face.

She nodded, staring into his eyes, feeling their minds connect for the first time. It was strange and familiar all at once.

She saw MacGruder's cruel ravings. She stroked her hand over Draco's back, trying to offer him comfort without speaking aloud and severing the connection. She saw blackness for a moment, and realized she had hit a wall in Draco's mind. She reached out and pulled him close.

"You don't have to do this." she whispered.

"Yes I do." he nodded against her shoulder. "I need you to understand."

They locked gazes once again. She gently entered the world in his head. She felt him sigh mentally, and the wall came down. She watched the scene from the beginning, of being told Bella wanted to see him, through what she had done, to the moment she finally released him, when he collapsed in her floor, sobbing, naked, bleeding, and in so much pain he couldn't bring himself to get up and go to his room.

She pulled him back into her arms, both of them crying.

"I'm glad she's dead." Luna whispered. "I'm so glad she can't ever hurt you again."

"I still can't believe she's dead." he whispered back. "I keep waiting for her to walk in the door, to wake up and find all this was a dream, that she still has me under her control."

"She doesn't." Luna told him fervently. "Let her go and let her be dead."

There was an indiscriminate sound in the hall, and the both looked to see Potter standing there again.

"It got quiet and I just wanted to make sure everything was all right." he shrugged sheepishly.

"I'll be back later." Luna told Draco. "I'll try to bring Caelum." He nodded. She turned to Harry. "Let me out of here."

Harry had never seen Luna in such a state as when she walked out of the cell. She stormed down the hall, waving her wand when she reached the auror office. MacGruder's cup exploded in his hand, dousing him with scalding hot coffee.

"What the fuck?" he roared.

"Tell them what you did." the calmness of Luna's voice was contrasted by the fury on her face.

"The bitch is as crazy as her boyfriend!" the auror announced to whomever was paying attention.

Luna flicked her wand again, and a huge book jumped off the shelf, smacking MacGruder on the head. "Tell them what you did." she repeated.

Harry grabbed Luna's wand before she could hurt the man, looking between the witch and her target, realizing that the auror had done something Luna found unforgivable.

"What did he do?" Shacklebolt asked, stepping up beside MacGruder.

Luna stared at the man with pure venom in her eyes. "He stood outside Draco's cell for several minutes telling him in no uncertain terms how he was going to be repeatedly and violently raped in Azkaban."

Shacklebolt swore under his breath. He looked from Luna to Harry, who had a sick expression on his face. "The aurors are bound by an oath of secrecy. We're going to have to make sure everyone who works guard duty is aware of the fact that Malfoy has a history of extensive childhood sexual abuse."

MacGruder looked stunned for a moment before his expression morphed into shame.

"And why are we not prosecuting Malfoy's abuser?" Robards asked.

"Because the perpetrator was dead by the time the abuse was reported, sir." Shacklebolt informed the commander.

Robards nodded. "I'm sure the young man could use some extensive counseling."

Shacklebolt shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "Unfortunately at this point, the only person he trusts enough to allow to help him is Miss Lovegood."

"I tried to help him just now." Harry added. "He shouted at me to go away."

"MacGruder, you know that such treatment of prisoners is completely unacceptable no matter what their circumstances." Robards stared down the auror.

"Yes sir." MacGruder mumbled.

"You are relieved of duty pending a formal investigation." The commander held out his hand, and MacGruder's badge fell into it. The man retrieved a few items from a desk drawer and left the office.

Robards turned to Luna. "You are aware that assault on an auror is a felony, punishable by incarceration?" Her eyes widened, but her mouth drew into a determined line. "However, under the circumstances, I don't think we need to bring the matter before the Wizengamot. I think your offense can be atoned for by performing some community service. Perhaps coming over here a few afternoons and working with the prisoners?" he winked at her.

Harry let out a huge sigh of relief as Luna smiled at the commander. "I think that punishment would be appropriate." she answered.

* * *

><p>Luna came back with Caelum later that day.<p>

"Duhduh!" the toddler shouted. He held up his favorite toy. "Daddon!" he announced proudly.

"It is a dragon." Draco grinned at him.

"He's going to speech therapy and physical therapy at St Mungos." Luna sat down on the bed, passing Caelum to his father. "He's doing really well with it. Next week they're going to fit him for a device to help him learn to walk. They said that his legs may be strong enough to hold him in a few weeks, but his balance still isn't where it should be for him to walk unassisted."

Caelum looked up at Draco and chattered off something, most of which the adults couldn't understand, but finished by pointing at his shoe and saying "Toe!"

His father pulled the child's shoes off and tickled his toes.

"So we're getting married on the fifth." Draco looked at Luna. She nodded. "What is today?"

"It's the 26th of May." She frowned.

He shrugged. "Days kind of run together in here."

They talked a little more, Draco and Luna about the wedding, and Caelum just happy to have his parents' attention. Williamson walked by and told them they had five more minutes.

Luna took a flat book and a small cylindrical object out of Caelum's bag and handed them to Draco. "These past few months, I've had a lot of things I wanted to tell my father. I wrote him a lot of letters. I don't know if I'll even give all of them to him, but just getting the words out helped me process what was going on. It helped me to understand what I was feeling and what I wanted to do. There are some people you needed to say some things to, but never got the chance. I thought it might help you to get those words out, too, even if no one ever reads them but you."

Draco took the items he offered. "What are these?" he asked, turning them over in his hands.

"Muggle writing utensils. This is a notebook. It's like a whole stack of parchment, attached together, and it has lines on it to help you keep your writing straight. And this, is a pen. It's like a quill except the ink is inside. You push this button, to make the writing tip come out, and when you're finished, you push it again to close the pen."

Draco signed his name in the front of the notebook. "These are brilliant." he said honestly. "I wonder why wizards don't invent things like this."

"Because they're too set on doing things the way they've been done for the past thousand years." Luna shrugged.

"Yeah." Draco nodded absently, still studying his pen and notebook.


	71. Chapter 69

"Malfoy! Visitor!" a guard called for the second time that day.

Draco looked up, expecting his mother or maybe his attorney.

He looked into a face he instantly recognized, even if he had no idea who the person was. The man from Luna's drawing.

"Draco Malfoy." The man nodded.

There was something familiar about the voice. Not the voice itself, but the accent maybe. Draco realized who the man was.

His soon to be father in law.

A brief notion of being the first prisoner murdered in the Ministry holding cells skittered across Draco's mind.

"Mr. Lovegood." he acknowledged, hoping his voice didn't crack too much.

"You don't have to be afraid, Malfoy." the older man walked into the cell and leaned against the wall. "I came to meet the man who supposedly wants to marry my daughter. Or do you have something to be afraid of?" he tilted his head much the way Luna did.

"I ... " Draco could not think of a good way to start this conversation.

"The information was correct, was it not?" Lovegood continued. "You do wish to marry my daughter?"

"Yes sir." Draco whispered. "I ... this ... this isn't the way it should have been. She deserves better..."

"Yes, she does." Lovegood answered evenly. "She's also rather young to be married and take the responsibility of a child. But then so are you."

"I didn't have much choice in the matter." Draco looked at his feet, and then his head shot up as he realized how that sounded. "I mean, ... I didn't mean it like that. Luna is my choice, no matter what. I love her and want to marry her. I just wish it didn't have to be like this."

Lovegood nodded, he faced slightly softened but still far from a smile. "Luna has explained the situation, why you are being married now rather than later, and under these circumstances. I can't say I like the idea, but Luna obviously loves both you and your son very much."

Draco nodded slightly but didn't answer.

"I was very concerned about her marrying into the Malfoy family." Lovegood stared at the younger man. "I went to school with your parents. Your mother was a very beautiful lady but a snake at heart. Your father ... "

"Yeah." Draco agreed.

"You don't seem to be like them." Lovegood observed. "At least not from what Luna has told me."

"I've had my moments." Draco shrugged. "But Luna makes me want to be a better person. And I want my son to have a different kind of father than I had."

It was Lovegood's turn to nod and not speak.

"I'm not going to stay." Lovegood pushed away from the wall and moved toward the door. "I'm supposed to be meeting with my counsel in a bit about my hearing tomorrow. But I wanted to meet the young man my daughter has given her heart. I'll probably be back another day."

"Mr. Lovegood."

His future father in law stopped and turned.

"Yes, Malfoy?"

Draco sighed. "From what I've heard, you're probably going to be released tomorrow. Watch out for Caelum and Luna. Please."

"I think Luna is capable of taking care of herself and the boy." Lovegood arched an eyebrow. "Especially since there are no more Death Eaters."

"I know." Draco nodded and looked up pleadingly. "But I still worry about them."

Lovegood smiled for the first time. "I think you have the potential to be a decent son in law, even if you are a Malfoy."

* * *

><p>Late that afternoon, Kreacher grumpily informed Luna that she had a floo call downstairs.<p>

She made her way to the sitting room to find Narcissa's head in the green flames.

"Luna dear, the attorney and I need to speak with Draco." The older woman paused. "He may find our news somewhat … upsetting. I wondered if you might come with us in case we needed you."

Luna sighed. "I'd better come through so we can talk about this."

"That may be best." Narcissa nodded.

"Let me see to Caelum and I will be right there." Luna signed off.

Ten minutes later, she stepped out of the fireplace into the attorney's office.

"Miss Lovegood, I've taken the liberty of ordering your favorite tea." Mr. Buckingham shook her hand and led her to the leather sofa where Narcissa was already seated. As promised, a tea set waited on the low table. Buckingham took the chair across from them.

"Now, what is all this about?" Luna asked, looking from one to the other.

"The Ministry probate office has finally sorted out how they intend to distribute Bellatrix Lestrange's estate." The solicitor leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "It took them some time to decide what her intentions would have been, due to the fact that several of the people she left bequests preceded her in death. The will had been drawn up years ago and never updated. Most notably, her husband would have received half, had he not died a few hours before her. He left his estate to be divided forty percent to his brother, sixty percent to his wife, so she inherited most of the Lestrange estate. She left a designated portion to Rabastan, and several specific items that were mostly Black family heirlooms to Narcissa. However, the wording of her will states that the remainder of the estate after the designated legacies went to her nephew Draco. Because of this phrase, and the fact that as I stated, her husband, her mother, her cousin Regulus, Theresa Nott, and Barty Crouch Junior were already deceased and unable to claim their portions, the bulk of the estate will go to Draco."

Luna looked at Narcissa with narrowed eyes for a moment. The older woman stared into her teacup, so Luna redirected her attention to the attorney.

"Why not Caelum?" she asked. "Surely they would take into account the fact she had a child during the subsequent years?"

Buckingham shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "It has come to light that she signed a document about the time the child was released from St Mungos when he was three months old. She relinquished all parental rights." Luna's eyes widened. "We aren't entirely sure that Bella fully understood what she was signing. Apparently it was Rabastan's idea. He foresaw the possibility of Bella trying to take the child from Draco at a later point if she felt it was in her best interest, and convinced her to sign, believing that it would be best for Draco and Caelum." He sighed. "In light of this information, the Ministry believes that she would not have intended to leave any inheritance to the child."

Luna folded her arms, again looking at her soon to be mother in law, who now had raised her head. Narcissa appeared stricken.

"For what reason do we have to tell him today?" Luna arched an eyebrow.

"Well, I don't suppose we have to tell him today." The attorney loosened his tie. "But he will have to be told soon, because there will be papers for him to sign, arrangements made to transfer the estate, and so forth."

"Then we're not going to tell him today." Luna announced in a tone of voice that was not open for argument. "He's fragile as it is right this moment. He had a flashback earlier today, and his nightmares have returned with a vengeance. This would push him over the edge."

The attorney looked to Narcissa, who nodded.

"WHY did you not get him out of that house?" Luna fumed. "Or get rid of her? You have no idea of the things she did to him physically and emotionally. And then to make him have to live in the house and face her on a daily basis?" Luna shook her head, clenching her fists. "I really wonder sometimes how he has managed to hold it together as well as he has, how he manages to love the child who is the reminder of that evil woman."

Narcissa looked at her hands, folded in her lap, and said nothing.

The younger woman turned back to the lawyer. "Hold it off for now. Let me have some time to ease him into all this rather than just dropping it on him all at once." Luna finished.

"How long?" Buckingham asked.

"As long as you can." Luna answered grimly. "But until after the wedding, at least. I think he'll be more … secure … after that."

"I'll do what I can." The man agreed.

"It's not going to become public knowledge about Caelum, is it?" Luna's eyes widened at the thought.

"I've made certain that nothing about the child is mentioned in the written determination of the division of the estate. The probate office is bound by a statute of secrecy, so they cannot reveal what they have learned about anyone during the reconciliation of an inheritance. I've also filed a motion with the Wizengamot to have the child's birth certificate and the relinquishment of rights sealed, so that they cannot be accessed without a court order. The adoption hearing will be closed, with a spell placed on the participants to keep anyone from revealing the details, and that record will be sealed as well. There are very few people who know of Caelum's parentage. We intend to keep it that way."

Luna stood. "Thank you. Now, I need to get back to my son for dinner."

She glanced back at Narcissa as she walked to the floo.

The older woman stared into space, much like Draco when he was lost in the demons in his head.


	72. Chapter 70

The next morning Harry switched to working day shift. He walked in to find the auror office in an uproar.

"I don't care what she said, she has not been into Azkaban to see Thorfin Rowle! He hasn't had any visitors at all!" Robards insisted.

"She got her information from somewhere!" Shacklebolt roared back. "Do you understand what kind of damage this will do to the department? Not to mention what effect the pre-trial publicity is going to have! We're going to be lucky to avoid a lynch mob!"

"What's going on?" Harry asked.

Shacklebolt sighed. "Have you seen The Prophet this morning?"

"No. Why?" Harry frowned.

Robards handed him the paper without a word, folded to the article they were obviously discussing.

_Debauchery, Drugs, and Death Eaters: The Deplorable Depravity of Draco Malfoy_

_By Rita Skeeter_

_Gentle Readers, we've all heard stories of the proverbial "poor little rich boy," a child who seems to have the world at his fingertips, but his money and prestige have brought him nothing but misery._

_This is not one of those stories._

_The last glimpse most of the wizarding world had of the Malfoy heir was of a brave boy walking out of the courtroom, supporting his mother as his father was sentenced to Azkaban. What a change the intervening two years have brought!_

_In an exclusive jailhouse interview with Draco's fellow Death Eater Thorfin Rowle, this reporter has learned that the handsome young man soon went wild without his father's steadying influence. By the following Christmas, he had thrown aside his childhood sweetheart Pansy Parkinson and had become known as "The Sex God of Slytherin," leaving a trail of ruined and heartbroken young girls in his wake._

_His fellow students knew that young Malfoy's dorm room contained a never ending supply of contraband firewhiskey and harder substances. Miss Parkinson, supplied the second and third pictures following this article, showing Draco during his sixth year, pale, emaciated, and obviously under the influence of forbidden substances._

_Within a year of his father's incarceration, Draco had taken his father's place in the Inner Council of Death Eaters. For this reason, he did not return to finish his final year at Hogwarts. Apparently Death and Destruction were more important subjects to young Mr. Malfoy that Charms and Transfiguration._

_However, leaving school did not slow his decline into degeneration. He obviously did not lack for female companionship, as proven by his illegitimate son, now just over a year old. And who is the mother of his love child, or should we say lust child? This reporter is looking further into the matter, but sources agree that she was the very married wife of one of his fellow Death Eaters._

_There have also been hints of an entirely inappropriate relationship between Draco and his aunt, Bellatrix Black Lestrange. Talk about taking blood purity to a bit of extreme!_

_Amongst and between the commission of the 383 crimes he is currently charged with, young Mr. Malfoy still managed to find time to carry on his party boy lifestyle. Mr. Rowle tells us that just last month, Draco's godfather and former Hogwarts headmaster Severus Snape and a healer from St Mungos were summoned to Malfoy Manor to resuscitate Draco from a near fatal drug overdose._

_With nearly 400 charges pending against him, is the Malfoy heir languishing in Azkaban with his comrades? Certainly not! He is being held in the basement of the Ministry building, receiving preferential treatment from the Auror Department! He is allowed unlimited visitors and gifts from the outside, while planning his wedding! And who is Draco Malfoy about to marry? None other than Luna Lovegood, the young woman who was held prisoner in Malfoy Manor for five months! Clearly the poor girl is being forced into this marriage in order to reduce the charges against her kidnapper. Attempted murder, kidnapping, torture, and abuse of both muggles and wizards can apparently be swept under the proverbial carpet if you have enough money.  
><em>

_Speaking of which, money will not be a problem. Not only is Draco still the heir to the Malfoy fortune, while in prison, he has also inherited the entirety of Severus Snape's fortune, and the bulk of the massive Lestrange estate from his aunt. Compensation for services well rendered, perhaps? Obviously, in Mr. Malfoy's case crime does pay.  
><em>

_Furthermore, sources report that a frequent visitor to Mr. Malfoy's plush cell is none other than Harry Potter, the Saviour of the Wizarding World! Is there no end to Malfoy's manipulations and schemes to free himself, or at least minimize his punishment?_

_Oh, Gentle Readers, if only the rest of us could have been born into the money and privilege this young man has squandered._

"This woman has to be stopped." Harry said weakly, tossing the paper onto the desk.

"I agree." Shacklebolt picked the paper up again, looking at the six accompanying photographs. He tossed the paper onto the desk again, looking up at Robards. "Question Rowle and the Parkinson girl. See what the hell they were thinking in agreeing to talk to the woman. Then bring Skeeter in for questioning."

Robards nodded.

"I'll head over to Azkaban." Williamson stood, pulling on his cloak.

"Take Haynesworth with you." the commander instructed.

Harry picked up the paper. "I take it no one has broken the news to Malfoy yet."

Shacklebolt, Robards and Williamson looked at one another, shaking their heads.

Harry rose and turned toward the door. "Someone had better show him before he hears about it second hand."

* * *

><p>Somehow, it fell to Harry to deliver meal trays again. Going against his normal pattern, he served Malfoy first.<p>

The blond sat in the farthest corner, deep in the shadows, his back against the wall and his head resting on his raised knees.

"Malfoy!" Harry called.

The prisoner didn't move.

The hair on the back of Harry's neck stood up. He quickly wrenched open the door and rushed across the cell in only a few long strides.

"Malfoy!" he grabbed a handful of blond hair and lifted the other boy's head.

Malfoy's head lolled in his hand. His eyes were open, but there was absolutely no emotion, no hope.

"Just go away." Malfoy whispered, pleading.

"I brought your breakfast." Harry told him.

Malfoy put his head back on his knees. "I don't want anything."

"I'll leave it on the table." Harry said.

He left the tray as promised, and then served the rest of the prisoners.

Harry returned to the office, but something just felt wrong. He walked back down the hall, intending to ask if Malfoy wanted him to send for Luna, which Harry realized he should have done before showing the newspaper.

Malfoy still sat in the corner, but he had stripped off his pants and sat in his boxers. He was stabbing himself with his fork, in the crease where his right leg met his body.

For a second time, Harry yanked the door open and stormed across the cell. He snatched the fork away.

"What are you doing?" he cried.

Malfoy looked at him with the same blank eyes. "The chances you would actually bleed to death from cutting your wrist are rather slim. But if you cut your femoral artery, you could bleed to death in three minutes." he informed Harry in a voice totally devoid of emotion.

"Shacklebolt! Robards!" Harry shouted.


	73. Chapter 71

Luna stormed into the auror office in a flash of blond hair and purple tee shirt.

"I need to see Draco." She announced, her eyes falling on the newspaper on the desk.

"How did you get here?" Robards was already on his feet and rounding the corner of the desk.

"Floo, why?" Luna asked, backing toward the hall leading to Draco's cell.

"Potter just apparated to the house to get you." Robards informed her. "We just sent Malfoy to St Mungos."

She sighed. "He's seen it."

There was a crack as Harry popped into the hallway just outside the office.

"She's not … oh. There you are." Harry appeared relieved.

"Take me to him." She insisted, holding her arm out to Harry.

He looked to Robards, who nodded. Harry took her arm and apparated them both to the lobby of St Mungos.

They made their way to the fourth floor, finding Shacklebolt standing in the waiting area, talking quietly with Ferguson and a healer Luna didn't know.

"I'd better get back." Harry murmured, backing away.

Luna turned to him as if to say something, but then shook her head, turning back to the healers.

"What happened?" she asked.

"We showed him the article." Shacklebolt's mouth thinned into a tight line. "We should have waited for you, and we know that now. He sat in the corner of his cell, not speaking. Potter brought his breakfast, and he started stabbing himself with his fork, saying something about he could bleed to death in three minutes if he cut his femoral artery."

"We've just given him Draught of Peace. We have him on suicide watch." The unfamiliar healer looked up from his clipboard. "So far he has refused to say anything."

"Let me talk to him." Luna pleaded.

The healer looked skeptical.

"If anyone can get through to him, she will." Ferguson nodded.

"She's gotten him through quite a bit already." Shacklebolt agreed.

"He needs me." Luna persisted.

"He's only fifteen minutes into his hospital admission. He hasn't even had a formal assessment by a trained healer yet." The healer frowned. "This is highly unusual."

"So is he." Luna folded her arms.

"He's had the potion, so let her see him." Ferguson urged. "Delaying your assessment by half an hour won't hurt anything. And if she can get him to speak, then your assessment will go much more smoothly."

"He could hurt her!" the healer admonished. "After all, he's already tried to harm himself, and he's charged with how many crimes?"

"He won't hurt me." Luna said quietly.

Ferguson and Shacklebolt spoke almost over her, echoing the same idea.

Ferguson pulled a small square from his pocket and handed it to Luna. "She has a call button." He looked at the other healer. "Are you satisfied now?"

The other healer sighed, seeming to realize it was three against one. "Fine. Ten minutes. Not a second more. And if he displays any dangerous behaviour whatsoever, she's out immediately and doesn't go back."

Luna nodded, slipping the device into her pocket. "Fair enough."

The healer reluctantly led Luna to a door with a small window and unlocked it. "If you feel threatened or uncomfortable in any way, press the button immediately to summon help." Luna nodded. He shook his head once more before pushing the door open and locking it behind her.

Draco sat on the bed in only his boxers and a tee shirt. There was nothing in the room other than the bed. He stared at the floor, giving no sign that he realized anyone had entered the room.

"Draco." She said softly.

He still didn't move.

Luna approached slowly, kneeling by his feet.

"Draco, look at me."

He looked at her then, his eyes blank.

"My life is over." He whispered, dropping his gaze back to the floor.

"No, it's not." She answered. "That's why you're here. To get help. I'm going to help you, and the healers are going to help you."

"Everyone knows about Bella and me." He still didn't meet her eyes. "No one will want to help someone like me."

"It doesn't matter what other people think." She told him earnestly. "You and I know the truth. Your mother knows the truth. Caelum is too young to understand any of it. We're the ones who love you. It doesn't matter what the rest of the world thinks, because most of them don't _think_ often enough as it is."

"The truth doesn't matter. What other people perceive as the truth is what matters." He answered as if reciting from memory.

"Who told you that? Your father?" she asked.

He nodded.

"Your father is a bitter, prejudiced, shallow, miserable bully. Caring about what other people thought hasn't made him happy, has it?" she gently reached out, closing her fingers around his hand.

Draco didn't answer.

"Draco, your life isn't what you wanted it to be, but it's worth living." She reached up to lay her other hand on his cheek.

He still stared at the floor.

"I promised you I wouldn't leave you." her voice cracked as she fought to hold back the tears. "But you have to promise not to leave me too."

He looked at her then, at the tears spilling over and streaming down her cheeks.

"I love you." she continued. "I love you and I want to fix you and help you get through this. But you have to want that too. You have to want to fight it. You can't just give up. You're letting them win. Bella and Rita Skeeter and Voldemort and all the ones who have hurt you. It's time for us to win. You, me, and Caelum."

Wet streaks slid down his face as well. "I just want it to stop. The hurt and the shame."

She moved up to sit beside him on the bed, wrapping her arms around him and laying her head against his. "You've hurt for so long. You want relief from the pain. But relief is a feeling and you have to be alive to feel it."

He returned her embrace, and didn't speak, but she felt him nod against her head.

"You know why you were mean to other kids at Hogwarts?" she prodded. "Because bullying other people made you feel like you were in control. You had always felt your life was out of your control. We have to find a way to give you control. You'll never be able to control everything, but you need to feel like you're in control of something."

The door opened and the healer stood in the doorway. "Time's up." he announced.

"Please let her stay." Draco asked hoarsely.

The man hesitated.

"I told you it would be fine." Ferguson's voice came from somewhere behind him.

"Miss Lovegood, do you want to stay longer?" he asked.

"Yes." she nodded vigorously.

"I'll make you a deal." the healer finally said. "I'll let her stay another half hour. _But,_ you have to talk to me later. Or I won't let her come back. No hiding in your head and pretending I'm not there. Right?"

Draco nodded.

"Very well then." the healer backed out, closing and locking the door. A moment later there was a scraping sound outside. They looked up to see Ferguson placing a piece of parchment over the window, giving them some privacy.

"I hate this fucking potion they made me take. It's like my head is not connected with my body." Draco grumbled.

"It is. I promise." Luna smiled, smoothing his hair.

"I don't want to go to Azkaban." he murmured. "But it would be better than walking down Diagon Alley and knowing everyone was whispering about Bella and me."

"They won't be." she assured. "You're talking about a published article. I know this game. Everyone talks about a fascinating article until something else comes along to grab their attention. The article my father printed on Harry about the Dark Lord's return was the best selling issue of The Quibbler ever. We can fight Rita Skeeter on her own terms."

"I don't want anything from Bella. I don't want to be her heir. I don't want to be Auntie Bella's boy any more." he continued.

"You don't have to be." she whispered. "You don't have to claim the money."

"If I don't, won't it go to Caelum?" he frowned. "I really don't want him to have it either."

"No, it won't go to Caelum." she told him softly. "It would probably go to Rab and your mother."

"Why not Caelum?" he asked. "He's her son. He should have more claim than me."

"Rab had her sign a legal form giving up her rights to Caelum so she couldn't take him away from you." she told him. "But the way the Ministry sees it, it also cancels his right to inheritance."

"She couldn't have taken him away from me?" his forehead creased. "But a few months ago ... " he trailed off.

"We don't know if she really even understood the ramifications of what she signed, or if she knew she really didn't have rights to him and was playing games with you." she sighed. "But if it had ever become a real issue, I'm sure Rab would have come forward to make sure she didn't take him."

"She threw us away." he whispered.

"I won't ever throw you away." she tightened her arms around him. "But you have to promise that you won't throw you away either. I need you and Caelum needs you."

He tipped her head up and kissed her on the lips. She leaned closer, parting her lips to deepen the kiss. "Don't ever let me go." he whispered against her mouth.

He pressed against her, and Luna found herself on her back on the bed. She tried to reach up and tangle her hands in his hair, but Draco still held firmly to her right hand, their fingers entwined. She settled for one hand on the back of his neck.

"You promised you would hold my hand." he murmured against her neck.

"Always." she sighed.

"Can we do this?" he asked, his free hand sliding under her shirt.

"We had better be quick." she giggled, arching against him.

In the end, they used her left hand and his right to push her jeans down and his boxers aside. Their coupling was passionate and desperate and sweet and gentle all at once. And they never let go of each other's hand.

"Maybe this wasn't a good idea." he muttered, his forehead resting against hers. "No wand to clean up with."

"Let me have my hand back for a minute."

He let go and she reached for her bag, pulling out baby wipes.

He laughed. "You are such a mum."

"Your son is messy." she gave him a look of mock annoyance.

They had cleaned themselves up and straightened their clothes by the time the healer discreetly tapped on the door.

"We'll get through this." she promised him, kissing him one last time as she stood. "I love you."

"I love you too." he whispered.

"You're not leaving me." she stood, her hand still holding his.

"I promise." he nodded.

She slowly backed toward the open door, not taking her eyes from his, until the healer closed the door between them.

"Can he have this?" she asked the healer, drawing a picture of their little family on Caelum's birthday from her purse.

The healer nodded. "I think this might help."


	74. Chapter 72

Draco's mother and Luna's father were in the waiting room when Luna came out.

"Daddy! I'm sorry!" Luna burst into tears. "I was going to be there for your trial this morning."

He pulled her close, stroking her hair as she sobbed into his shoulder. "It's fine love. I heard you had other matters to see to this morning." She continued to cry and he continued to soothe. "You've been so strong for so long."

Narcissa stepped forward and awkwardly placed her hand on Luna's back. "I … don't … I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate everything you've done for my son."

"I shouldn't have had to." Luna murmured.

"No, you shouldn't have." Narcissa returned, her own voice sounding suspiciously weepy. "You've fought harder in this war than Potter did."

They let her cry it out, and when the last tear had been dried, Narcissa handed her a cup of water and told her they had been asked to come to the auror office.

"Daddy, are you coming to?" she asked.

"I will if you need me there, love." He squeezed his daughter's hand. "But otherwise, I need to find a place to stay. I understand the Leaky Cauldron is full at the moment, so I'll have to contact some of the other inns to find a place to stay until we can get something arranged about the house."

"Let me ask Harry … " Luna began, but her father shook his head.

"If he would let me stay a night or two, I would be appreciative, but I need to find a place for long term." Xeno said.

"Luna, I thought you were coming back home to the Manor?" Narcissa raised an eyebrow. "We're cleared to return home tomorrow."

"Please come with us." Luna turned to her father. "We'll figure out a place for you to stay afterward. I'm sure Harry wouldn't mind your staying with us tonight."

* * *

><p>They at least fed him lunch before the mind healer came. Draco was laying on the bed, staring at the wall, when the man came in.<p>

"Draco?"

The figure on the bed looked over his shoulder.

"Do you mind if I call you Draco?" the man continued in a soft, comfortable voice.

"No." Draco answered hoarsely.

"I'm Healer Anton Danko. You can call me Tony." The man sat in a chair he had obviously brought with him. "You promised you would speak with me. I'll make this as comfortable for you as possible. Do you want to sit up, or are you fine where you are?"

Draco rolled onto his back but didn't answer.

"Let's start with the most important part, shall we?" the healer spoke after Draco appeared settled. "I want you to promise that you will not try to harm yourself again. You are safe here. No one else will try to harm you physically. We will do our best to make sure no one harms you emotionally, but you have to work with us. We have to get into your head to help you, but if things become too uncomfortable, tell me. We can back off, work around, help you process, do what we need to do so that no further damage is done. Does that sound fair?"

"Yeah." Draco answered, staring at the ceiling.

"So will you make the commitment that you will not harm yourself?" the healer prodded.

"I will promise if you promise that when I need Luna, you'll let me see her." Draco replied, lips tight.

"I will promise that I will do whatever I can to allow Luna to see you. But that brings me two questions. First, you don't trust me when I make a promise, do you?" the healer studied his patient carefully.

"No." Draco answered honestly.

"Do you trust _anyone_?" the man pressed on.

"Luna. My mother. That's about it." Draco shrugged.

"I take it that other people have given you reasons not to trust them in the past." The healer suggested.

Draco didn't answer.

"My second question is, why do you think you need Luna here? What do you think she can do for you that the staff at the hospital can't?" the healer asked.

"Luna …. " Draco frowned, trying to find the right words. "She makes me feel safe. I have nightmares, and sometimes something like nightmares when I'm awake, Luna calls them flashbacks. She's the only one who can get me out of them. Otherwise, I have tried to hurt people."

"That's a very important thing for us to know. Thank you for telling me that. It gives us a place to work from. I will help you find ways to deal with the situations that trigger the flashbacks and nightmares before they start, so you don't have the episodes to begin with. Once we've learned a few things about what causes the problem, we will try to figure out how to help you get out of the flashbacks yourself." The healer scribbled something on his clipboard.

"Luna will help me get out of them." Draco insisted.

"Yes, but what if she's not available?" the healer asked him. "And don't you think that asking her to be responsible for your mental state is putting a lot of pressure on her?"

"Luna loves me." Draco whispered, but something in his voice suddenly didn't sound certain.

"I'm sure she does, but this situation has to be very draining on her." The healer assured. "I'm not saying she can't or shouldn't help you. I'm saying that if you work to be able to handle your flashbacks on your own, it would be good for both of you."

There was silence for a moment as the healer let that information sink in.

"Now can you tell me what brought you to the state you were in this morning?" the healer prodded gently.

"Didn't you see the article in The Daily Prophet this morning?" Draco growled.

"Yes. But those are just words written on a piece of paper. What someone else says doesn't tell me how it makes you feel or why it made you act the way you did." The healer told him.

Draco scowled at the ceiling.

"Most of it wasn't true." Draco snapped.

"But some of it was?" the healer pressed.

"Yeah." Draco sighed, knowing he was going to have to say it. "The part about my aunt."

"You had a relationship with her?" the man asked gently.

Draco nodded.

"How old were you when it started?"

"Sixteen." Draco muttered.

"Was it consensual?" the healer continued.

"No." Draco answered with a huff of breath.

"You know you're not the only person this has ever happened to." the healer assured. "And that it wasn't your fault."

"It ... I should have ... " Draco trailed off, aware of sympathetic eyes on him.

"We'll deal with that later." the healer nodded. "But for now, I want to know about the feelings the article stirred."

Draco folded his arms.

"You're ashamed of other people finding out?" the healer suggested.

"Wouldn't you be?" Draco huffed.

"This isn't about what I feel, it's about what you feel. And there are no wrong answers, unless you don't tell the truth." the healer scribbled something else on his clipoard. "But for the record, I would probably feel ashamed if I was in your position."

Draco didn't answer.

"And I detect a good bit of anger from you." the healer took off his glasses.

Draco still didn't answer.

"You have a right to be angry. Your aunt forced you to do things you didn't want to do. And she put you in the position you're in now." the healer was scribbling on his clipboard again.

"Yeah, and she's dead!" Draco growled.

"But you're not." the healer leaned forward. "You still have feelings to deal with. You have to find a way to get them out."

"Luna brought me a muggle writing book and a thing to write with. She said it would be a good idea to write letters to people I didn't get to say what I needed to say to them." Draco answered softly.

The healer nodded. "That's actually a good idea. If I got you a parchment and quill, would you write her a message, telling your aunt that you're angry?"

"No." Draco grumbled. "I want the book and writing stick Luna gave me."

"I think that can be arranged." the healer smiled. "I will arrange to get your writing items brought to you, but you do have to promise to use them."

Draco nodded.

"And you remember your promise to not harm yourself."

Draco didn't answer.

"Your promise, Draco?" the healer persisted.

"Yeah, I promise." the patient muttered.

"Very well. I'll let you alone for a while." the healer stood and tapped his chair with his wand, folding it to pocket sized. "I'll check back in with you later."

* * *

><p>Shacklebolt leaned forward, placing his elbows on the conference table. "What do you have, Robards?"<p>

"We've had aurors interview both Rowle and Parkinson. Both of them swear they didn't talk to Rita Skeeter. Rowle offered to take truth serum to prove it. Parkinson checked her scrapbook and says the pictures were missing. She said she couldn't remember how long it had been since she had seen them. The pictures could have been taken yesterday or months ago. She never noticed anything disturbed, so she never realized there had been a burglary." Robards shifted some notes in front of him, then looked at Luna apologetically. "Skeeter was interviewed live on Wizarding Wireless Network on the Brunch with Brunhilda programme. Skeeter expanded further on her Malfoy expose, as she's calling it, now claiming that Luna is being forced into the marriage by the fact that she is pregnant, obviously as a result of being assaulted during her captivity at Malfoy Manor. She's also vowed not to stop investigating until she reveals the identity of Draco's son's mother."

Xeno Lovegood reached over and grasped his daughter's hand. "First we discredit her article, then we run our own to forward our side of the story."

"I have an idea on the first part." Harry offered.

"And I have some ideas for The Quibbler article." Luna's father smiled.


	75. Chapter 73

_"Good morning, Wizarding World. This is Brunch with Brunhilda, and I am your hostess with the mostest, Brunhilda Selwyn. So what is going on in the wizarding world these days? If there's anything going on other than yesterday's Rita Skeeter article on Draco Malfoy, my listeners certainly aren't talking about it. Today's in-studio guest is Gawain Robards, head of the auror department."_

_"Good morning."_

_"Thank you for being here, Auror Robards. Now, yesterday's article did not reflect well on the auror department as a whole. There were accusations of favoritism toward Mr. Malfoy, hints of mishandled investigations, and murmurs of continued transgressions toward Miss Luna Lovegood. You've requested to come on today to address the situation, and I daresay a large portion of the wizarding population is most eager to hear what you have to say today."_

_"Thank you for allowing me to be here to address the situation." The male voice said. "First of all, I would like to say that false information is being disseminated, and the Auror Department is investigating the source of the untrue accounting."_

_"Do tell?" the female voice asked. "And what is this false information, Auror Robards?"_

_"Well, to begin with, Miss Lovegood is not pregnant. The auror department spoke with her yesterday afternoon. Apparently there were quite a number of your listeners concerned enough to contact the department about the welfare of Miss Lovegood and her alleged child. One of the aurors performed a pregnancy test on her in our office, and it was negative."_

_"So she is not being forced to marry Draco Malfoy because she is expecting his child?" Brunhilda questioned._

_"Obviously not." The auror answered nonchalantly._

_"But it is true that she and Mr. Malfoy are engaged to be married?" the witch prodded. "And what about the claim that he assaulted her during her captivity?"_

_"I am of the understanding that they are engaged. However, the Malfoy and Lovegood family are preparing to address the situation with the press as regard to their personal matters. I am only here to address the information being released as it relates to the auror department. Mr. Malfoy and Miss Lovegood have both denied that he ever assaulted her, and he has not been charged with any crimes against her other than the kidnapping charge, which Miss Lovegood herself has stated she believes is unjust. Now, I would like to also point out that the investigation into the Death Eater activities has not ended, and there is always the possibility that further charges may be brought against Mr. Malfoy if warranted. It's not fair to the auror department to say that Mr. Malfoy is receiving preferential treatment from the aurors. He is being held at the Ministry because Azkaban, at the moment, is full. Therefore, the prisoners who posed less of a security risk are being held in the Ministry. Mr. Malfoy has actually been a model prisoner It's always been the department's policy to reward good behaviour with more privileges."_

_The hostess nearly squealed. "So he is being allowed unlimited visitors and gifts from the outside?"_

_"Absolutely not!" the auror replied defensively. "He is a prisoner, after all."_

_"Well why in the world would Rita Skeeter claim he is if those things aren't true?" the woman asked._

_"I can't answer that question, other than to state that Miss Skeeter herself is under investigation by the Auror Department. She claims that she interviewed Thorfin Rowle in Azkaban and he was her main source for the story. First of all, Thorfin Rowle has not been cleared by the Wizengamot to have visitors. Secondly, there is no record of Rita Skeeter having visited Azkaban at all since the end of the war."_

_"Are you saying that Rita Skeeter lied about her article?" the surprised was evident in the witch's voice._

_"I'm saying the auror department is investigating whether Miss Skeeter broke into Azkaban to secure her information. If that is proven to be true, Miss Skeeter has committed a felony and will be charged as appropriate before the Wizengamot."_

_"Well, Witches and Warlocks, you heard it here first! And Brunch with Brunhilda will follow the story as it continues to develop…"_

* * *

><p>Williamson stomped back into the office after the second hour of questioning Rita Skeeter.<p>

"She won't tell me how she got the information, but she swears Rowle was her source." he grumbled, dropping into a chair.

"There is no record of her having been in Azkaban." Robards repeated for the fifteenth or so time.

"Maybe she made it all up." Williamson suggested.

Narcissa shook her head. "She knows too much. Someone gave her some information."

"But how did she get the information? All owls going in or out are read and there's no record of correspondence between her and Rowle." Savage asked.

Robards snorted. "Azkaban is like anywhere else. If you've got the money or the power, you can get whatever you want."

"Has Draco received any letters from his father?" Narcissa's head suddenly snapped up.

"No. Why?" Robards asked.

"I'm going to save you a trial." Mrs. Malfoy stood. "I'm going to kill the bastard myself." she stormed from the room.

"Haynesworth, please owl Azkaban and tell them not to let Mrs. Malfoy in today." Robards groaned.

Luna dropped her head into her hands.

"What was all that?" Harry whispered to her.

"Lucius gave Rita Skeeter the information." Luna said softly.

"Why? That's his son?" Harry's eyebrows shot up.

"To stop him from marrying me." Luna sighed.

"There's still no record of Rita Skeeter having visited anyone in Azkaban." Robards repeated, having obviously overheard.

"I never thought I would say this, but I feel sorry for Malfoy." Harry sighed.

"I'd better be getting home." Luna stood, reaching for her purse.

Harry suddenly smiled. "I know how to fix this." He pulled Luna toward the hall. "Let me talk to Luna for a moment, and then I'm going to question Skeeter."

* * *

><p>The door opened again, and this time Harry Potter himself and another auror came in.<p>

"Oh, Mr. ... Savage, is it?" Skeeter smirked waspishly. "Have you replaced the youngest Weasley as Mr. Potter's sidekick?"

"Actually, he's my trainee. I'm teaching and observing his interrogation skills." the auror smiled vapidly.

"Miss Skeeter, I'd like to ask you a few questions. You are, of course, welcome to have an attorney present if you wish." Harry sat across from her formally.

Savage flopped into a chair at the end of the table.

"Well this is certainly a change. I'm used to being the one asking the questions." she replied sweetly.

"Why did you lie to the other auror?" he asked without preamble. "Lying to an auror is called perjury, and it's a crime."

"I didn't lie to anyone. I gave the name of my source. I did not tell how I received the information. I did not tell any lie." she folded her arms.

"You did lie." Harry insisted. "Because we found out who your source was. You lied. It wasn't Thorfin Rowle."

"It was most certainly Thorfin Rowle." she insisted.

"No, it was not." Harry replied, studying his nails. "And I know who it really was."

"It was Thorfin Rowle. I spoke with him face to face!" she cried.

"And how did you do that?" Harry raised his eyebrows. "Did you break in to Azkaban, or did he break out? I find the second hard to believe, because why would he willingly go back in if that were the case?"

Skeeter pursed her lips, realizing she had been caught.

"I know you're an unregistered animagus." Harry leaned across the table, speaking softly. "I know you broke into Azkaban, which is a ten year prison sentence. If I can prove you brought your source anything in exchange for his story, that's another ten years." Harry smirked at her. "Then again, there's the whole bit about being an unregistered animagus, which is also a felony. Ten years if you didn't use your powers for personal gain or to harm others. Twenty years if you did. And I would say the article counts as both."

Harry began to doodle on the parchment in the center of the table. "Of course, maybe you would get an exclusive jailhouse interview with Thorfin Rowle this way. The real one, this time."

"Harry Potter!" she squealed. "You can't let me go to prison!"

Harry smirked. "Well then, I have a proposal for you. You write a retraction. Say that you never visited Azkaban, that you never interviewed Thorfin Rowle, and you made up the so called facts in your article. If you do that, I won't tell the auror department that you are an illegal insect animagus."

Her eyes were as wide as Luna's. "But ... that would ruin me! My career would be over!"

Harry leaned back in his chair. "I'm sure that thirty or forty years in Azkaban would be wonderful for your career."

"How do I know you won't tell anyway?" she asked. "What if I write the retraction, and then you tell anyway?"

"I'll make the Unbreakable Vow." Harry promised.

"Cool. I'll bind it." Savage piped up. They had almost forgotten he was there.

They all stood, and Savage drew his wand.

"Do you, Harry Potter swear to not reveal to anyone in the auror office that Rita Skeeter is an unregistered animagus?" the elder wizard asked.

"Yes, I do." Harry stared into Skeeter's narrowed eyes.

"Wait!" Skeeter held up her free hand. "What if he has already told the aurors?"

"Have you?" Savage asked.

"No." Harry shrugged, looking at Savage. "Well, not other than you."

"Do you, Harry Potter, vow not to tell anyone in the auror office that Rita Skeeter is an unregistered animagus, and that you have not already told anyone in the auror office about this?" Savage repeated, pressing the tip of wand to the joined hands.

"I do." Harry nodded.

"Do you, Rita Skeeter, vow to immediately write a full retraction of your article about Draco Malfoy, stating that you never interviewed Thorfin Rowle and made up the contents of the story?"

"I will." she glared at Harry.

The swirling tongues of fire circling their hands faded away. Savage traded places with Harry and also vowed not to reveal Skeeter's secret in exchange for her retraction.

"Be my guest," Harry gestured at the table, where parchment and quill awaited. She sat and began to write furiously. "I already know the answer to this question, but what cell did you go to in Azkaban to speak to Rowle?"

"The tower." she answered, not looking up. "Solitary confinement."

"Interesting." Savage snorted. "Rowle hasn't been in solitary confinement this month."

She looked up for a moment. "No, he was there the night before last. But when I went back last night, it was Lucius Malfoy instead."

Harry and Savage looked at one another for a moment, nodding.

"I don't know why you're making me do this." she spluttered. "You hate Draco Malfoy."

"I don't really hate him." Harry leaned over to read what she had written so far. "But no matter what I feel about him, Luna is my friend, and she deserves better. And you have no right to ruin his son's life."

Rita finished her retraction and handed the parchment to Harry. "There. I've made a fool of myself. But I've upheld my end of the Vow, and I expect you to uphold yours."

"I will." he nodded, opening the door.

Robards and Williamson stood in the hallway.

"Miss Skeeter, you're under arrest for being an unregistered animagus." Robards informed her.

She gasped and whirled on Harry and Savage. "You made the Unbreakable Vow that you wouldn't tell!"

"Oh he didn't tell the aurors." Luna's dreamy voice answered her from outside the door. "I did."


	76. Chapter 74

There was a knock at the door. "Malfoy, you have a visitor." The healer's assistant announced.

He looked up, expecting his mother or Luna. He was rather surprised by the dark haired person looking at him nervously.

"Pansy." He gave her a sad smile.

She ran across the room, throwing herself into his arms. "I'm sorry. I should have come to see you sooner. I should have … "

"It's okay. You're here now." He hugged her tightly. "It's so good to see you. Where's Theo?"

"He had an interview today." She answered proudly. "He's applied to Hogwarts as the Transfiguration professor when they get things running again."

"That's … I'm sure he'll be brilliant." Draco answered, sitting her on the bed beside him.

"We're getting married in three weeks." She said, her eyes filling with tears. "I can't believe you won't be there. I never imagined getting married without you there."

He snorted. "That's because most of your life you imagined you'd be marrying me."

She nodded, wiping away tears angrily. "Yeah, before Theo. But you're my best friend, Draco. You're supposed to be there. And besides, you're the one who realized that I had feelings for Theo and encouraged me to go after him."

"I wouldn't look good in the maid of honor dress." He joked.

She hugged him again. "I'm so glad to see you smile. I worried about you for so long. I didn't know what was wrong. I thought I had done something wrong. We slept together and then shortly after that, you pushed me away. I could see you self-destructing, but I couldn't do anything about it. I thought you hated me, that you felt like I had taken advantage of you."

"It wasn't you." He held her hand, not meeting her eyes. "That was about the time I got involved with my son's mother."

"I'm sorry." She squeezed his hand. "I didn't mean to bring up painful memories."

"That's why I'm here." He shrugged, looking around the room. "To deal with the painful memories. To stop self-destructing."

"I wish I could have been there for you." She said softly. "I wish you would have talked to me. I could have helped you back then."

He stared at her for a long moment, realizing it would only hurt her if he told her that he had tried to talk to her. "It wasn't something I thought anyone could help me with at the time. She … forced me into the relationship with her. She used unforgivables on me. I didn't think anyone would understand. And then when our son was born, she left us both."

"Oh Draco. And to think you had all this going on and I was just blabbering to you about how wonderful Theo was…" she hugged him again.

"I'm glad you got your happy ending, Pans." He told her sincerely. "You deserve it."

"Not any more than you deserve one." She shook her head. "Now, tell me about this. Are you really engaged to Loony Lovegood?"

He nodded, smiling shyly. "Yeah, we're getting married on my birthday. She's not like what we thought when we were in school. She … she accepts me, with all my flaws and issues. And she adores my son."

"It looks like you adore her too." Pansy teased.

"I just wish … " he trailed off, sobering. "Azkaban isn't the best way to start a marriage. I'll be lucky to only get 50 years or so."

"Draco." She sighed. "You shouldn't be going to Azkaban. You didn't want to be a Death Eater. You had no choice."

"Yeah, that doesn't erase the 383 crimes I'm charged with." He sighed.

"We're going to get you out." She promised.

He sighed, pulling away from her. "Everyone keeps telling me that."

* * *

><p><em>Dear Bella,<em>

_I am angry with you. You had no right to force me to have sex. Not one time, and certainly not over and over. You took away my control of my own body, and my choices. They weren't yours to take. You forced me to become the father of a child I wasn't ready for. You made me ashamed of my own body. You made me accept a sexual relationship with my aunt as normal, made me lie to myself that I wanted to do those things with you so I could cope. And when I became attached and had feelings for you, you left me. When our son was born, you rejected him. Whether he was perfect or not, he was half of you and half of me, and you wanted him dead. You continued to hurt me, and you hurt Luna, because she had me. It wasn't because you really wanted me, it was because you didn't want anyone else to have me. You were miserable, and you wanted everyone else to be miserable as well. I did everything you wanted me to, but you never loved me like you loved the Dark Lord. And he never did what you wanted him to._

_I'm angry because you died. You never tried to make things right with me. I never had a chance to say these things to you in person, even though you would have laughed at me any way. You never got to know our son, to see what a wonderful person he is even if his legs don't work right. He will grow up calling another woman mummy and she will be the one to love him through everything that life has to bring. He will be better for it, and I suppose I should be thankful for that._

_But I'm still angry that he will never know the woman who brought him into this world._

_Draco_

"I did my homework." Draco snapped at the healer, holding out the notebook.

"Good." Danko said, unfolding his chair.

"Aren't you going to read it?" Draco frowned.

"Not right now." the healer shrugged. "If you want me to read it later, I will. But the purpose of the assignment was for you to get those feelings out, so you can work through them."

Draco threw the notebook across the room.

"Why did you do that?" Danko asked.

"Because it was pointless. You made me write a bunch of crap that you're not even going to read because I'm locked up in here." Draco snarled.

"It wasn't pointless." the healer answered with the patience of having dealt with that particular outburst before. "It made you _feel._ That's a big part of your problem. You've locked away a lot of feelings. You need to let them out so you can deal with them constructively. Otherwise, they continue to poison you from the inside."

Draco sullenly folded his arms and stared at the wall.

Now," the healer took something off his clipboard. "Here's a reminder of what you're working for." he handed Draco the picture Luna had left with him. "You have a family that loves you and wants to see you get better. If you complete tonight's assignment without any further tantrums, your son can come visit tomorrow."

Draco looked at the man hopefully.

"But when Luna's here, we are not covering the window again. I know exactly what went on in here yesterday." the healer smirked. "But I won't fuss too much, because it did get you to cooperate with me."

* * *

><p>Narcissa met Luna at floo when she arrived at the Manor.<p>

"Gam!" Caelum shouted.

"You hesitated when the auror suggested performing the pregnancy test on you yesterday." the older woman narrowed her eyes while taking her wriggling grandson from his mummy. "And I want to know why."

Luna sighed, biting her lip. "Because I visited Draco at St Mungos a few hours before that."

"Oh. OH." Narcissa's eyes widened and then she smiled and shook her head. "The test wouldn't show positive that soon anyway. It takes ten to fifteen days before a test registers positive. But too bad we didn't know that was going to happen. We could have started you on the potion already."

"So what happened with Lucius?" Luna asked.

"Nothing." Narcissa snapped. "They wouldn't let me in at Azkaban. Said he was in solitary confinement and couldn't have visitors today."

"But you're sure he was the source of the information?" Luna asked.

"Positive." Narcissa handed the jabbering Caelum back. "Thorfin Rowle wouldn't have bothered. He has nothing to gain by selling Draco out. And if he thought there was a possibility I could help him, testify on his behalf, perhaps, he wouldn't do anything to turn me against him."

"What are you going to do about him?" Luna tilted her head.

"Nothing, for the moment." Narcissa frowned. "But once you and Draco are married and the future is secure, I'll have Lucius served with divorce papers."

"Speaking of which," Luna wrestled with Caelum who was leaning toward the doorway and squealing. "I really don't know about this plan. I don't like the idea of tricking Draco. He has enough problem trusting people now. I don't want to give him more reasons not to trust people."

"You told me yourself that he wants another child."Narcissa argued. "He has a name picked out for his second child. He didn't want Caelum at first. All that changed the first time Draco laid eyes on him. This one will be different. He already knows how much he loves Caelum. He'll get over being angry and become excited long before the second child is born. And once he holds that child in his arms, he will forget all about not wanting the child right now."

"Mummy!" Caelum wailed, rocking back and forth in her arms, and pointing toward the door.

Luna caught on to what he was trying to tell her. "You know you're home and you want your horse." she smiled.

"Haw!" he shouted, grinning.

Even Narcissa smiled. "Take him upstairs and let him see his horse. We;ll talk more about this later."

Luna turned toward the door. "I'm expecting word from my father as to where he'll be staying. Will you let me know when the owl arrives?"

"Oh, I meant to tell you." Narcissa snapped her fingers for a house elf. "He's taking my room at the Leaky Cauldron for the moment. I invited him to dinner tonight."

"Thank you." Luna nodded to her future mother in law, turning toward the stairs.

Rinka waited in the nursery, excitement radiating off her in waves. "My people have come home!"

Caelum bounced in Luna's arms and chattered nonstop.

"Are you happy to be home?" Luna asked him.

"Hum." he repeated, then pointed at the door across the room. "Duhduh! Duhduh!"

"Daddy's not here." Luna told him softly, as she had so many times lately.

He cried for a few minutes, but she was able to distract him easily with the rocking horse.

She wasn't sure if she was relieved or disappointed by how quickly he stopped crying.


	77. Chapter 75

A/N - Just a short chapter with snippets of what's going on in their world. But I promise a longer chapter with more interesting developments tomorrow.

* * *

><p>Caelum came downstairs for dinner for the first time that evening. Narcissa and Luna agreed that neither of them had any desire to eat in the dining room, so they had a smaller table set in the blue sitting room instead.<p>

Luna's father had been invited for dinner, but by the time the soup was on the table, it became obvious he wasn't there out of any social obligation.

"So Mr. Lovegood," Narcissa addressed straightaway. "What is your progress on getting The Quibbler back up and running?"

"Mrs. Malfoy," he shook his head. "We were in the same year at Hogwarts. We're about to be family. Please, call me Xeno."

She nodded, smiling stiffly. "Of course, and please call me Narcissa."

"Very well." He smiled back at her. "I've salvaged what equipment could be saved from my house and made an inventory of the other items I need to get back in business. Tomorrow I have an appointment with Gringotts to apply for a loan to cover it, and then of course I'll have to find a location to set up."

"Order your equipment as soon as the supplier opens in the morning." She instructed. "As far as a location, I'll secure a list of properties the Malfoy family owns from the solicitor as soon as possible. I'm certain one of them will be suitable."

"Narcissa." Xeno frowned. "I appreciate your offer but I can't possibly accept."

"Don't be ridiculous." She sipped her wine daintily. "There is no reason you should have to beg mercy from those nasty little goblins. Your article is going to salvage the reputation of my son and daughter in law. If it sells as well as we hope, you'll be able to pay off the equipment after the next issue. Allow me to invest in your magazine. My interest rate will certainly be lower than that of the goblins."

"Narcissa." He argued. "We both know that Lucius would not approve of your investing a knut in anything to do with me."

She smirked. "Yes but Lucius isn't here. As it's his fault that his son's reputation _needs_ to be salvaged, I think it's only proper that I use his money to do so, no matter who is involved in the plan. Furthermore, I intend to spend a great deal of his money over the next few months."

Xeno broke a piece off his roll, chewing it slowly. "You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?"

"Of course not." Narcissa winked at him. "Besides, the sooner you get the logistics sorted, the sooner you can begin planning the article."

* * *

><p>Healer Danko came in after supper. He held a parchment in his hand.<p>

"This came for you earlier." He waved the letter. "But we held it until now, to make sure you were in a proper state to read it." He handed the letter to Draco. "I'll stop back by in a bit to see if you want to talk about it. But in case no one has told you, the evening edition of the Daily Prophet ran a retraction of the Rita Skeeter article about you, stating that she admitted that she had lied, that she never interviewed Thorfin Rowle or Pansy Parkinson. She was also arrested and charged with being an unlicensed animagus."

Draco nodded, looking from the letter in his hand to the man standing above him. "No one had told me. Thank you." He looked back to the letter. "Is it awful?"

The healer shrugged. "It isn't pleasant, but I've seen much worse." He took a step toward the door. "I'll check back with you in a bit." He repeated.

_Draco,_

_At this point, you certainly cannot seriously still consider this nonsensical idea of marrying that common blood traitor. Everyone knows she was a captive at the Manor, and once her pregnancy becomes apparent, everyone will believe you assaulted the girl and she was forced to marry you. The Malfoy name will never recover from the scandal. You, she, and the child will be judged. You must do what any wizard with half a brain would do. Put her up as a mistress. Keep her out of the public spotlight with your two tainted children. Marry a respectable pureblood witch to bring honour back to the family name. You've probably missed your chance with Miss Parkinson, but _I understand_ the Greengrass girls are still on the market, or perhaps the Flints' daughter. Produce a suitable heir. You know what is expected of you. _

_Father_

Draco crumpled the parchment and threw it against the wall.

Apparently Danko took that as his sign to return.

"You didn't tell me that Luna was pregnant." the healer arched an eyebrow at him.

"She's not." Draco huffed. "We told the Death Eaters that she was carrying my child for her protection. I forgot until now that my father didn't know the truth."

"So how about the rest of it?" the healer prodded gently.

"What about it?" Draco growled. "Is this where you ask me how it made me feel?"

"Well, yes." Danko answered, a hint of a smile about his lips.

"It made me feel like my father is a manipulative bully and I'm better off with him out of my life as much as possible." Draco absently picked at an unseen spot on the sheets.

Danko nodded, pushing himself away from the wall he had been leaning against. "I'll let you get away with that answer for now. But one day, you're going to have to deal with your feelings about your father too. After we work through Bella."

Draco nodded, staring at the floor, not acknowledging the healer's departure.

* * *

><p>"Good Morning, Wizarding World. This is Brunch with Brunhilda, and I am your Consul of Current Affairs, Brunhilda Selwyn. This morning, we're going to be talking to Auror Gawain Robards again, as well as Augustus Belby from The Daily Prophet about last night's arrest of Rita Skeeter for being an unregistered animagus, and her confession that she made up the story about Draco Malfoy. We had hoped to also interview Mr. Malfoy or at least a member of his or Miss Luna Lovegood's family. They declined our invitation to participate, stating they were much too busy getting ready for the wedding, but Draco's mother Narcissa Malfoy did send an owl. She thanked us on the family's behalf for the opportunity to come on the show, but promised an exclusive interview and photo spread will be in The Quibbler for their Grand Re-Launch Issue, scheduled to hit the news stands on 6 June.<p>

Now, Auror Robards, is it true that Draco Malfoy has been moved to an undisclosed location for his own safety after Rita Skeeter's scandalous article came out ..."

* * *

><p><em>Dear Bella,<em>

_What you did to me made me afraid. All of your threats, and the way you physically harmed me. I am afraid to let other people get close to me. I am afraid to trust anyone. I am afraid that strangers and friends alike will harm me. I lived in fear for over a year of what would happen to our son if anyone ever found out the true scope of his disabilities. Simple things people say and do strike terror into me because they cause me to relive the things you did to me._

_I am afraid that one day, somehow, you will come back, and finished destroying me._

_I am afraid to face the future, because I know you won't be there._

_You really fucked up my head, did you know that?_

_Draco_


	78. Chapter 76

A/N - Sorry. I know I promised this yesterday, but it was one of those days where nothing went like it was supposed to. Hopefully you'll forgive me after you read this one.

* * *

><p>Draco woke screaming just after midnight.<p>

This dream was different.

He didn't dream of anything Bella had done to him. He didn't dream of being chased/tortured/killed by Voldemort and/or Death Eaters, the nightmares that plagued him for the year before Bella turned his life into a living nightmare.

He was in the Great Hall, all alone with two dead bodies. Bella and Uncle Sev. He shook them, crying, begging them to wake up. No matter how much he pleaded, their blank eyes continued to stare unseeing at the ceiling above.

Luna wasn't there to wake him and assure him that it was only a dream. No one came check on him. There was some slight sound from out in the hall, apparently someone looking in to make sure he wasn't hurting himself, but no one came into the room.

He laid with his back against the wall, looking across his empty room and feeling very alone.

He didn't know how much time had passed before he got up and wrote a letter he wasn't assigned.

_Dear Uncle Sev,_

_There are some things I should have said to you, but never did, so I'm going to say them now. I know you're not comfortable with emotions and being praised by others made you nervous, so I'll keep this short and to the point._

_Thank you. For everything. There were so many little things I never acknowledged, but they meant more to me than I could ever say._

_You don't know how many times I wished you were my father instead of Lucius._

_I love you._

_That's all I have to say. And I'm sure if you were here, you would think it was too much._

_Draco_

* * *

><p>Draco sent for his mother as soon as it was light. She made a trip to the Ministry on his behalf, returning shortly after breakfast. She stayed an even shorter period the second time.<p>

Danko came in shortly after she left.

"How are you this morning?" he asked Draco as he unfolded his chair.

"I haven't killed anyone today, but I guess if I was cured you would let me leave, right?" Draco grumbled.

"I heard you had a rough night." the healer continued, as if Draco were carrying on a pleasant conversation. "Anything you want to talk about?"

Draco snorted.

"Keeping all of your emotions bottled up is what lead you be here." Danko reminded him.

"It wasn't like my other nightmares." Draco sighed. "Instead of reliving anything Bella did, I was alone with her body, and my godfather's body. I was trying to get them to wake up, but they wouldn't of course, because they were dead."

"Yes, that is different." the healer scribbled something on his clipboard. "Do you think the fact that the two people in your dream were your godfather and the woman who molested you is significant?"

"I don't know." Draco shrugged. "I mean, why _wouldn't_ it be the two of them? They died the same night."

"Over two hundred people died that night." Danko looked at him over the clipboard. "Why were there only two in your dream?"

"I didn't know all two hundred of those people." Draco frowned. "Some of them I did. Some I didn't particularly like. Greyback, for one. I guess they were the only ones there because out of the two hundred odd people that died that night, those were the two I ... " he trailed off with a look somewhere between shock and horror.

"Those were the two you cared about." Danko finished for him.

"I hated Bella." Draco growled angrily.

"Part of you probably did." Danko nodded. "Or at least, hated what she was doing to you. But there was also a part of you that loved her. You were hurting at the time the abuse was going on. You were looking for love, you needed love, and you were willing to accept what Bella did to you as a form of love. It was a devastating time in your life. Your father had just gone to prison, you were trying to find your place and your beliefs while others around you were telling you what to believe and who you were, even the security of your home had been compromised by the arrival of Voldemort and the Death Eaters. You latched onto whatever positives there were in your relationship with Bella."

Draco folded his arms across his chest, drawing into himself.

"It's completely normal, Draco." Danko assured him. "Human beings are programmed to give and receive love. When a child doesn't receive love through the proper channels, they will look for whatever love they can get. That's why you see children who are desperate for attention act badly. Negative attention, being punished, is better than no attention at all."

Draco relaxed slightly, and nodded.

"You're still in self protection mode." the healer observed. "I've told you that what you are feeling is reasonable and not unexpected. Why is that hard for you to accept?"

"Because I had a sexual relationship with my aunt. That's sick and fucked up and if it was you, would you want to admit it to the world?" Draco spoke softly, staring at the floor.

"I hate to sound like I've had a an echo charm placed on me, but once again, this isn't about me and how I feel. It's about you and how you feel. There are no wrong answers. So how _do_ you feel about what I've just told you?"

Draco made some non-committal sound in his throat. "I guess it makes me feel a little better, but it's still not something I want anyone to know about."

Danko nodded. "A lot more people will understand than you realize. You're not the only person who's ever been sexually abused. But you're right, there are some who won't understand. If you want to keep the information a secret among the handful of people you trust most, that's within your right to so you."

"It's going to stay a secret." Draco muttered.

"Something else to think about," the healer pointed out. "Would telling your story to a group of people who have been in a similar position help you to process everything? Would it help one of them?"

"More like it would give The Daily Prophet a brand new exclusive." Draco picked at an invisible spot on the sheet.

"Very well then." Danko nodded. "So this session has brought up two things: your love for Bella, and your shame about what happened to you. Pick one of those. Either one. That's your writing assignment for today. We'll tackle the other one sometime later."

Draco silently nodded his assent. Danko stood, folded his chair, and left his patient alone with his thoughts.

* * *

><p>Draco's woman and child arrived mid-morning. Even though he had been told they were going to see Daddy, Caelum looked around him curiously and tilted his head at Draco.<p>

"Duhduh no." he looked at Luna and then Draco.

"Daddy is in the wrong place." Luna translated. "I agree. He should be home with us."

"Hum!" Caelum agreed, nodding emphatically.

Draco grinned, watching them.

He reached out and took Caelum from Luna. Caelum threw his little arms around his daddy's neck and planted slurpy kisses all over the lower half of his face.

"You look like your mummy when you tilt your head like that." Draco informed his son with amusement.

Caelum launched into his usual monologue, peppered with "mummy" and "daddon" and "Gam" and "hum" and "haw", which Luna explained was his horse. Draco was surprised how much of his son's babbling he was beginning to understand.

"You're getting to be a big boy." Draco told him.

The child snuggled into his father's chest, holding on tightly. Draco shifted his son to one side, and then held out his other arm. Luna came and put her arms around both of them. The little family clung together, the parents kissing until they were breathless and became aware of a squirming toddler trying to get between them. Grinning at each other, Draco and Luna broke apart.

"Sit." he gestured toward the bed.

Luna sat, reaching her arms out to take Caelum. Draco shook his head, reaching under the pillow with his free hand to retrieve something small. He turned his back, looking at whatever it was he held, then turned back to her.

"I know nothing about our relationship has been conventional, and I don't expect it to start now." he began. "But this is something I wanted to do the right way, because I love you and you deserve better than what you've gotten from being with me." He nudged Caelum and whispered "Look at mummy." before turning back to her. He dropped to one knee, balancing Caelum on his other leg. "We both love you so much and we want to be with you forever." He held out the box he had been hiding in his hand. "Luna, will you marry us?"

Tears sprang to her eyes, and she nodded, one hand covering her mouth. She leaned forward, giving Draco the lightest kiss on his lips.

"Mummy! Duhduh!" Caelum bounced and clapped his hands, not sure what was going on, but that everyone seemed to be happy.

"I love you." she whispered to her fiance. "And you too." she kissed Caelum on his nose and he giggled.

She took the box from Draco and opened it slowly. There were two rings set in antique platinum. One had an oval moonstone, with the carved dragon from his mask on the face of the stone. The other was a simple circle with diamonds set into the metal around about a third of the circle.

"It was my grandmother's wedding ring." Draco told her. "My grandfather loved her very much. She died young, but he never remarried. When he was dying, he said he was going to her. I wanted you to have it because I want us to have a love like that. I'm going to wear my grandfather's wedding ring. The engagement ring is new. I had it made for you when we were planning to run away. There hasn't been another couple like us in my family, so I wanted you to have something unique. I told the jeweler I wanted something to symbolize the dragon and the moon together forever, and I think he did an amazing job."

Luna nodded. "It's gorgeous." she whispered thickly. "How did you get them?"

"I had them in my pocket when I came to look for you at Hogwarts. My mother went over to the Ministry this morning and convinced Robards to let her have them so I could give them to you." he said.

Draco took the ring from the box in her hand and slipped it on her finger, murmuring something in what sounded like French. There was a slight glow and her finger felt pleasantly warm.

"What was that?" she asked.

"An ancient charm." he smiled. "I've pledged myself to you and placed a protective enchantment on you whenever we're apart before our marriage."

She tugged on his hand, urging him up to sit by her on the bed. "So at the wedding, do you place another protection on me then?"

He sighed. "Well, the idea is that I'm going to be there to protect you, so you won't need one after the wedding."

"You'll be there." she said, slipping an arm around his waist and laying her head on his shoulder. "Maybe not right away, but soon enough."

He snorted. "Not likely. 383 charges, remember?"

"With extenuating circumstances." she argued. "We're doing everything we can to get you released."

He huffed and didn't answer.

"We've only got a limited amount of time together." she whispered. "I don't want to fuss."

He nodded, leaning over to place his head against hers. "You're right."

The spent the rest of their hour together, playing with Caelum and talking softly.

Danko tapped on the door and told Luna time was up. She stood, kissing Draco one last time and holding Caelum out for a hug and kiss.

The child latched on to his daddy and refused to let go.

"Duhduh go!" Caelum wailed.

"Daddy wants to go with you." Draco promised, his voice hoarse with emotion. "Daddy misses you so much."

"Come on Caelum," Luna tried to dislodge him. "It's time to go to therapy."

"Duhduh! Duhduh!" he cried, holding onto Draco tighter.

"You have to go with mummy." Draco told his son gently. "But you can come back and see Daddy soon."

They finally managed to pry the crying child loose. By that time, Draco had tears streaming down his face as well.

Luna took Caelum to physical therapy, where he kicked and shrieked and refused to cooperate.

They finally made it back to the Manor, where Luna fed Caelum his lunch and got him down for a nap, over his protests and shouts for his daddy.

Narcissa came to the nursery shortly after Luna had finally placed the child in his crib.

"We have wedding planning to get done." Narcissa informed her. "Let Rinka stay with him, and come downstairs with me."

"I'm not going to switch the potions on Draco." Luna said, shaking her head.


	79. Chapter 77

_Dear Bella,_

_What you did to me left me feeling ashamed. I am terrified of the possibility someone might find out what happened between us. All my life I was raised that I had to be perfect. Malfoys are never anything less. I could not begin to imagine what my father would do when he found out that his perfect son had done something so inappropriate as to commit incest. Even more traumatizing was the idea that the pureblood society would find out, and I would be shunned and an outcast forever. _

_Living with such a dark secret is incredibly stressful. I tried to tell Pansy, who was my best friend, and she shunned me. She didn't mean to hurt me, but she couldn't deal with it, and she was my best friend. Even though she was the one who hurt me in that instance, it wouldn't have happened if you hadn't molested me. It made me afraid to trust anyone else with my secret._

_I was ashamed of the fact I usually found the physical part of our relationship pleasurable. I thought it made me a bad person. Luna helped me to understand that it was just my body's natural reaction to stimulus. I don't have to be ashamed of the fact that my body is normal. Teenage boys are designed to enjoy sex. You are the one who should be ashamed, for forcing me to perform those acts with you._

_The shame and feeling that I was a bad person made me push everyone away. I felt that I could not let anyone get close to me because they would learn my secret and reject me. I am thankful every day that Luna didn't leave me when she found out who Caelum's mother was, or even before that, when she saw how damaged I was. If she had left me, I don't know what I would have done._

_You also made me ashamed of the best thing that ever happened in my life. My son. I can't ever tell anyone his full story, because it would be telling them about how I got him. By having an incestuous relationship with my aunt. He's beautiful inside and out and totally innocent of what happened between us, but if people knew who his parents were, they would whisper and point. _

_You were ashamed of him because he wasn't perfect. I wish you could have seen that he really is, no matter what his physical condition. _

_Draco_

* * *

><p>Bored to death and missing Caelum and Luna as soon as they had left, Draco decided it was time to write another letter.<p>

_Dear Father,_

_I am going to marry Luna. _

_She is not pregnant. I lied to Voldemort when I said she was, for her protection. _

_She is a pureblood. She does not believe the way you do, but that is all right. Not everyone has to agree with you. I certainly don't any more. _

_Caelum is my son. I love him. He will be my heir. I am not ashamed of him, no matter who his mother was, and will never set him aside because he does not meet my standards of perfection. _

_I am an adult, and I will make my own choices. You can accept them and realize that you no longer control my life, or you can disown me. _

_It would be very, very difficult for you to produce another heir while in Azkaban, especially since Mother does not appear inclined to have more children. Your second cousin Gerard may decide to claim the estate, but from what I've heard, he is unlikely to produce an heir, as he is very openly gay. Therefore, the Malfoy line will end, and the title and fortune will forfeit to the Ministry. _

_All your efforts to uphold the family name will be for naught. _

_I will win, because I will still have Luna and Caelum. _

_Draco_

He folded the parchment, and tapped on the door, waiting for one of the healer assistants to respond.

"Will you ask Danko to send this to my father?" he asked her.

"Of course." she accepted the parchment, sliding the door closed.

Draco flopped on the bed, wondering if she would read it before she gave it to the healer. He would most certainly read it.

It didn't matter.

* * *

><p>Narcissa came to the nursery shortly after Luna had finally placed the child in his crib.<p>

"We have wedding planning to get done." Narcissa informed her. "Let Rinka stay with him, and come downstairs with me."

"I'm not going to switch the potions on Draco." Luna said, shaking her head.

Narcissa shook her head. "Let's go downstairs and talk about this."

Luna waited for Rinka to come, so by the time she reached the sitting room, Narcissa had a tea tray ready and had poured her cup.

She took a long sip while Luna added a pinch of sugar to her tea.

"Luna." she sighed. "We've talked about this. It's the best solution for everyone. You want to have his child. He wants another child. A second child would secure Caelum's future. He may be angry for a moment, but he will get over it quickly."

Luna looked down into her cup as if it held all the answers. "You didn't see him today. I had to pry Caelum off of him, crying and begging for his daddy."

"If the situation goes as we fear it may, your second child, unfortunately, will never know Draco as living at home. The second child will always know that Draco lives in Azkaban, and he can only visit his father. He won't have those unfortunate meltdowns." Narcissa looked at her stubbornly. "Caelum will soon begin to forget. He will get used to the idea of Draco living in a separate place, and in a year he won't remember Draco being here."

"It's not the children I worry about." Luna said softly. "It's Draco. It hurts him that he's missing so much of Caelum's development. That I had to explain to him what Caelum's new words meant. It would break his heart if he had a second child, and could only get to know that child an hour at a time, twice a week."

Narcissa waved her hand dismissively. "He will understand that the child is a comfort to you, with him not there. He will love the child, no matter how much time they have together. Besides, I am positive I can arrange additional visitation and special privileges. He will understand that the child is vital to securing Caelum's future."

"I don't care about the money." Luna frowned. "The attorney told me that Draco was wealthy in his own right, with inheritances from his grandparents and godfather. That was before we even learned that he stands to inherit the bulk of the Lestrange estate. The only thing I'm worried about is Caelum being forced to change his name. If you can somehow prevent Lucius from doing that, we don't need to worry about securing the estate. " Luna took a sip of her tea. "I'm not going to trick Draco and take fertility potion instead of contraceptive potion on our wedding night. We will be legally married, and within a few weeks, Caelum will be legally adopted. If anyone wants to contest the Malfoy estate after that, we will handle the threats as they come. But I'm not taking the potion, and that's final."

Narcissa's face was dark with fury, but her words were soft and melodic. "Perhaps you are not dedicated enough to the Malfoy family to marry into it."

"I wasn't aware there was a loyalty test." Luna tilted her head. "But if there was, I believe I have more than proven my loyalty to Draco and Caelum. Lucius has done nothing to earn my loyalty. Quite the opposite, actually."

"The Malfoy family is bigger than Draco and Lucius. There is the name, the title, the estate, and the matter of upholding the honor of the name." Narcissa replied pointedly.

Luna stood. "It seems to me that the upholding the honor of the family name has caused the Malfoys quite a bit of trouble over the years. Perhaps if the family members had been worried about people more than reputations and society's expectations, individuals could have been saved quite a lot of heartache."

"Are you blaming me for the state this family is in?" Narcissa rose to her feet as well.

Luna shrugged. "No. But I stood against the Dark Lord and his top Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries when I was 15. And my son wasn't even involved."

Luna turned and left the room.

Narcissa stomped into the nursery a few minutes later, casting a silencing charm around the crib as she crossed the room. "What do you think you're doing?"  
>she demanded.<p>

"Packing." Luna answered simply.

"Are you not going to marry Draco over this?" Narcissa's eyes went wide.

"No, I'm still going to marry Draco." Luna tossed some of Caelum's clothes into her old Hogwarts trunk. "Caelum and I just going back to Harry's house until I do. I'm not going to take the fertility potion. And I'm not sure that you need to be there if you can't understand how your son would feel about this."

* * *

><p>Draco was counting ceiling tiles after supper when he heard a slight scraping sound near the door. The noise was so faint he never would have heard it if the ward weren't so quiet.<p>

He looked over toward the door, spotting a shadow swiftly moving away through the window in the door. Curious, he crossed the room, looking out. There was no one in sight. He started to turn and go back to the bed when his bare toe contacted something on the floor. He looked down, finding a thick envelope.

He picked it up, turning it over in his hands. There were no markings, and the wax seal was plain and unfamiliar. He turned it over once more in his hands, concentrating on feeling for dark magic. Not finding any, he gently broke the seal and opened the envelope.

There was a note, and something bound in a string wrapped parchment. The note was in his father's handwriting.

_Draco,_

_There are more where these came from, and unless you want them all to go to the press, you will call off this ridiculous farce of a wedding. _

_Father_

He untied the string and unwrapped the other piece of parchment with trembling fingers, having a sickening feeling that he knew what he was about to find. He was right.

The first picture showed him on top of Bella, both of them naked, on the chaise in the solarium. In the second, they were in his bed, with Bella on top. The third was the two of them, standing up, Bella's back pressed against the wall and her legs around his waist, the night they returned from a raid and she dragged him into the cloakroom by the back door, unable to make it upstairs before she attacked him. In the last picture, her skirt fell over where their bodies were joined, but as they were all moving pictures, there was no doubt as to what the couple was doing in any of them.

Draco stared at the three pictures on the bed, until the lines between the pictures and reality began to blur.


	80. Chapter 78

Rinka stood by the crib wringing her hands as Luna continued putting clothes in the trunk.

Narcissa's eyes widened in something akin to panic. "You can't leave!"

Luna paused packing long enough to look at Draco's mother calmly. "I am leaving."

"No!" the older woman practically screeched. "Let's just … let's just back off for tonight and we'll talk about this again tomorrow."

Luna shook her head. "There's nothing to discuss as far as I'm concerned. I will not do it."

"You can't leave me here alone!" Narcissa wailed.

Luna looked up to see her future mother in law's eyes full of tears.

"You've never been alone before, have you?" Luna asked softly.

"No." Narcissa's voice broke on the word. "I went from home with my parents to being married. And then when Draco was gone to school and Lucius went to Azkaban, Bella was here…" She covered her mouth with the back of her hand.

Mimsy popped into the room before Luna could answer.

"Mistress Cissy, sorry so for to interrupt but the auror boy downstairs." The fat elf informed them.

"Auror boy?" Luna frowned. "The one with dark hair and glasses?"

Mimsy nodded emphatically. "Yes, dark hair auror boy."

"This can't be good." Luna murmured, rushing down the stairs.

Harry waited in the dining room. With one look, Luna knew she had been right.

"What happened?" she demanded.

He paused a moment, apparently waiting for Narcissa, who came in the room just before he spoke. "There's been a bit of trouble at St Mungos."

"What kind of trouble?" Narcissa wheezed.

Harry frowned and his cheeks reddened. "Someone sneaked in and gave Draco some … graphic pictures … of him and Bella …. Together …"

"Where did they come from?" Luna asked.

"We don't know yet." Harry shook his head. "There was a note attached, apparently signed by Lucius, but of course we haven't determined if they were really from him, or someone impersonating him. The auror department is investigating, first of all because of the fact someone obviously gave a patient in law enforcement lockdown an unauthorized package, and secondly, because we suspect Draco was underage in at least a couple of those pictures, which makes them child pornography."

"How is he taking it?" Luna wrapped her arms around herself.

"They've sedated him." Harry looked down. "It apparently triggered one of his … well, what happened that night at the Ministry."

Luna looked at Narcissa. "I've got to go to him."

Narcissa nodded. "I'll make sure Rinka stays with Caelum and I'll be there."

Harry cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Um, Mrs. Malfoy. We, I mean, … the aurors, were wanting to ask if you would make a visit to Azkaban. Talk to Lucius. We want to attach a recording device and see if he admits to sending the pictures. And if we can find out who actually took them."

Narcissa straightened and her eyes narrowed. "Yes. I would be glad to go talk to Lucius."

* * *

><p><em>It was Draco's third raid. For the first two, he had managed to stay in the background. He was supposed to stay with Bella, let her train him. He stood back, pretending to watch and learn.<em>

_This time, she had actually forced him to participate. She ordered him to crucio the members of the muggle family, then incarcerus the man and child while Dolohov, Rowle, and Greyback took turns raping the woman. Draco clenched his jaw, willing himself not to throw up. Bella offered Draco a turn, but he shook his head, sliding his hand across Bella's arse to give himself an excuse as to why he refused._

_She laughed throatily and apparated the two of them back to the Manor. He steeled himself for what he knew was coming once they reached his bedroom._

_Then Bella changed things on him._

_She pulled him into the cloakroom and into a kiss as the door closed behind them. She walked backwards until her back was against the wall. With it being summer, most of the winter cloaks were in storage and as the remaining Death Eaters were wearing theirs, the room was nearly empty._

_"What are you doing?" he shoved her tongue out of his mouth long enough to ask._

_"I couldn't wait until we got upstairs." she murmured, reaching for his belt._

_"There's no bed in here." he muttered against her lips._

_"Don't need a bed." she tugged his zipper down. His body was already responding to her. "Haven't you ever fucked a woman up against the wall?"_

_"Do you remember us having done this before?" he asked._

_She laughed again. "You are Auntie Bella's boy."_

_"Don't make me do this." he whispered as she pulled his pants open. "Let's go upstairs to my bedroom."_

_She kissed him again and finished by biting his lip. "I want it rough, hard, and fast tonight. Not in a bed that's too big and too soft."_

_She dug her nails into his shoulders, leaning forward to bite his chest._

_He whimpered and shoved against her, trying to break away. "Stop." he hissed._

_"Fuck me now." she commanded._

_He lifted her slight frame until she wrapped her legs around his waist, fumbling with her knickers and his boxers until she reached down and helped him none too gently. It took him a minuted to find his rhythm in the awkward position and being afraid he was going to drop her._

_"Harder!" she commanded._

_He complied._

_"It made me so hot watching that." she whispered, kissing him again, before she muttered "even if she was a muggle. I know it made you hot too."_

_In that moment Draco's mind went from just pretending this wasn't his aunt, that he was with some anonymous witch from one of those magazines his mother didn't know his father had, to reliving the scene from less than an hour ago._

_He heard the muggle woman's screams in his head._

_He was only vaguely aware of the fact that Bella was pulling his hair, that she was digging her nails into his upper back and bucking against him. She tightened around him with a shout, but he was still locked in his mind, watching his fellow Death Eaters violate the woman._

_Bella slapped him hard, splitting his lip. "Fuck me, not her!" she demanded._

_He looked her in the eyes, hating what he had become. Hating the life that was forced on him. Hating what she forced him to do. Hating her._

_Then she smiled at him, not a smirk, but a gentle, heavy-eyed self satisfied smile. "You're such a bad boy. I like bad boys." She gently reached out and curved her tongue around his ear._

_It drove him over the edge. He came with a growl deep in his throat, crashing against her. She threw her head back, making a sound between a sigh and a moan._

_He lowered her so that her feet were on the floor before he collapsed to his knees, not bothering to straighten his clothes. He shoved the heels of his hands against his eyes, trying to blot out the memory of the evening, playing over and over again in his mind._

_The look in the muggle boy's eyes after seeing Draco torture his parents and knowing he was next. The horror of the child, maybe 9 or 10 years old, watching his mother gang raped._

_"Come on." Bella tugged at his cloak. "Let's go up to your room, take a shower, and fuck all night."_

_"No." he rasped._

_"We can play." she whispered, her fingertip tracing the outer edge of his sensitive ear again. "You can pretend I'm the muggle woman, since you didn't get your turn. I don't mind. I like it rough."_

_"Leave me alone, Bella!" he roared._

_"I'm not finished with you tonight." she tangled her fingers in his hair and yanked, trying to pull him to his feet. "So get up, put your cock in your pants, and let's go upstairs."_

_"No." he repeated._

_She jerked her hand out of his hair, shoving him off balance as she did. Before he caught on to what she meant to do, he was hit by the cruciatus curse._

_"_Now_." she told him authoritatively. "We're going upstairs and fuck until we don't know where one of us stops and the other one starts. Or do I need to convince you some more?"_

_He knew he had no choice. Just like the muggle woman, all control had been taken from him._

_He began to sob, doubled over on the hard, cold floor of the cloakroom._

_"Draco."_

_That was wrong. It was a man's voice. Only Bella was with him._

_"Draco, snap out of it."_

_Draco shook his head. Couldn't the person, whoever it was, see how everything was so wrong, was so evil?_

_"Go away Bella." he pleaded. "Just leave me alone."_

_She was pushing him onto his back, trying to roll him over._

_That was wrong. That wasn't the way it happened the first time. He struggled against her._

_"Just stop! Please! Leave me ALONE, Bella!"_

_"This will make you feel better." the male voice said._

_There was a sharp pain in his thigh. Just a small one, nothing like what she had done earlier._

_And the world went blessedly black and silent._

* * *

><p>"All right, I think you're all set." the female auror tucked the tiny muggle device into the neck of Narcissa's blouse, stepping back to make sure it wasn't visible. "If you feel unsafe in any way, just say 'Get me out of here' and the aurors will be in the cell faster than you can blink."<p>

Their emissary nodded. One of the aurors disguised as a regular guard stepped forward, leading her up the tower stairs.

"Malfoy, visitor!" he shouted, leaving her a chair outside the cell.

"Lucius." she nodded._  
><em>

"Cissy." he frowned. "How in the name of Merlin did you get into solitary, at this time of night?"

She shrugged with a smirk. "The Malfoy name can get you a lot of things. The money will get you the ones it doesn't." She folded her arms and looked at him pointedly. "But you already know that, don't you?"

"What are you on about?" he asked, eyes narrowing.

"I know you're the one behind the Rita Skeeter article about Draco, and I know you sent him those filthy pictures." her lips tightened into a thin line.

"He got them." Lucius smirked. "Good. I take it that he's given up his ridiculous notion of marrying a Lovegood."

Narcissa drew her hand back before realizing the bars would prevent her from slapping him. "Do you not care about your son at all?" she asked.

"Of course I do." he snapped. "Why do you think I'm doing this?"

"Because you're an arrogant, controlling bully with no concern about how this affects your son!" she growled.

Lucius huffed. "You act like I'm killing him."

"You almost did!" she thundered. "Did they not tell you he tried to commit suicide after the article?"

"What?" the color drained from her husband's face.

"Yes!" she nodded. "They took him to St Mungos. He's physically all right, but they have him on the fourth floor. The mental ward! They were trying to help him deal with what Bella did to him, and then you send him those pictures! They said he went mad. They have him sedated now. We haven't even been allowed to see him."

"Deal with what Bella did to him? Please." Lucius sneered. "Did you _see_ the pictures?"

Narcissa shook her head.

"He was fucking her like a champion porn wizard. Trust me, he wasn't suffering." he made a face.

"Lucius, he was just a boy." she folded her arms. "He did not consent to what happened between them. He couldn't have if he wanted to, because there is no such thing as consent between an adult and a child."

He made an impatient noise and didn't answer.

"Where did the pictures come from?" she asked.

"Dolohov." Lucius folded his arms. "He blackmailed me. There are several more, but the ones I sent Draco were the worst. I paid half a million galleons to keep those private. Afterwards, I had someone to steal his copies so he didn't come back and ask for more money."

"But now you're willing to make them public?" Narcissa raised an eyebrow at him.

"Draco will never let that happen." he shook his head. "He will do whatever I tell him to keep them out of the press."

"Why are you so determined to make him miserable?" she questioned.

"He has a duty to this family!" Lucius roared. "He needs to marry a respectable woman, and produce a legitimate, healthy heir! What is so bloody difficult to understand about that?"

"He has a pureblood woman." she answered softly. "With the proper tutelage in civility and deportment, she would be very respectable. Why shouldn't he be allowed to marry the one who makes him happy?"

"Because she's a Lovegood!" he bellowed.

"That's what all of this is about." she shook her head. "You're determined to make your son into a little copy of you, right down to following the Dark Lord and bullying the Lovegoods for no real reason."

"You've babied him." he frowned. "You've made him weak."

"Don't blame me for this." she huffed. "We had a happy, healthy little boy before the Death Eaters got hold of him."

"Before your sister got hold of him." he shot back.

"So you do admit that Bella abused him." she smirked.

"I said nothing of the sort!" he protested.

"Between you, Bella, and Voldemort, you've stolen his teenage years from him. Just let him go. Let him be happy." she pleaded.

"Whether he's happy or not won't matter in one hundred years. What will matter is whether he's done his duty to the Malfoy family, whether he's carried on the bloodline as he should." he insisted.

"But it matters to him, now. And if he carries on the bloodline with someone who makes him happy, why shouldn't that be enough?" she argued. "And if you drive him away, or drive him to kill himself, the bloodline is over. What will that accomplish?"

"You're young enough. We could have another son." Lucius said, sounding much less sure of himself.

"I won't." she narrowed her eyes at him again. "I would never let you touch me again. And I would never give you a divorce so that you could have a legitimate child with someone else. You're stuck with the son you have."

"Cissy." he sighed.

"Don't you love him?" she asked, her eyes filling with tears. "You used to love him so much when he was little. When he wanted to grow up to be like you. He even wanted his hair combed like yours. What happened?"

"I do love him." Lucius sighed. "But he has to learn to do what I tell him to do. It's for his own good."

"Sometimes you can't make people do what you want, or be what you want, no matter how much you love them." she shook her head sadly.

The fake guard's head appeared from around the corner. "It will be bed check time in about 15 minutes. You'll have to be out of here before then."

She nodded, and the man left.

"He lied about Luna being pregnant." Lucius said. "He lied to the Dark Lord. He lied to us. Did you know she wasn't really expecting?"

"Yes." she nodded.

"So he only lied to his father, not his mother." Lucius snorted.

"He knew his mother would understand why he did it. And he trusted me not to sell him out to the Dark Lord." she raised an eyebrow at Lucius.

He didn't answer, and the silence stretched out awkwardly.

"You paid off a guard." Lucius smirked. "How Slytherin of you."

"How did you get the pictures to Draco and the information to Rita Skeeter?" she asked.

"Paid off a guard." he shrugged. "There are plenty of them willing to make a few extra galleons. And being in solitary confinement, there are no neighbors to interfere in your business. I wouldn't have been able to polyjuice myself as Rowle in general population."

"Leave Draco alone." she stood and stepped closer to the bars, pressing her face in to kiss her husband.

"Tell him to marry Flint's daughter." Lucius replied smoothly. "Their children would be the best Quidditch players."

She began to walk toward the stairs.

"Cissy, I love you." he called after her.

She looked over her shoulder, but didn't answer.


	81. Chapter 79

The blackness was fading.

It was cold in the grayness.

He felt so alone.

He whimpered, and suddenly a warm hand closed around his.

He knew that hand. He would know that feeling anywhere.

"Luna?" he whispered, his mouth feeling as if it had been dried out with a spell.

"I'm here." she whispered back. There was a faint rustling sound, and his body flooded with warmth. He felt safe.

He opened his eyes, and he was in a white room. Not the same one he had been in all of his time at St Mungos, but one much like it.

There was actually furniture in this one, a bedside table and a chair, and a window in the wall with curtains obscuring the view. He was in a regular hospital bed, not a narrow cot that was one step up from his bed in the jail.

And Luna was crowded into the bed beside him.

"Are you really here?" he asked.

"Yes." she smoothed his hair away from his face. "How do you feel?"

He thought for a moment. "Drained."

He carefully shifted onto his side to face her, trying to make more room, trying not to fall off the bed.

"Do you remember what happened?" she looked into his eyes in concern.

"Pictures ... " he mumbled. "No ... " he began to tremble and looked at her desperately. "Where are they?"

"The aurors have them." she tightened her grip on his hand. "It's okay."

"It's not okay!" he shouted, lurching up from the bed. "Potter is going to see them!"

He swayed at the sudden movement and the lingering effects of the drug they had given him. Luna wrapped her arms around him, steadying him, keeping him from trying to get off the bed.

"The aurors had to take them as evidence. The pictures are locked away where people can't see them." she assured.

"My father is going to show them to everyone if I don't do what he wants." Draco moaned.

"I'm sure the aurors won't let that happen." she rubbed his back gently with one hand.

"I have to do what he says." he dropped his head into one hand.

"Draco," she waited until he looked up at her before she continued. "You don't. You don't have to let him control you any longer. We will find a way to stop him."

"He won't let it go unless he gets what he wants." Draco insisted. "And now he's got these pictures, he can hold them over me for the rest of my life."

"What if you stood up to him?" Luna asked. "It wouldn't be comfortable for him if those pictures went public. If you called him out on it, I wonder if he would really do it. And it would upset your mother terribly. He has a lot to lose as well. Besides, releasing those pictures would make most so called respectable pureblood families wary of what their daughter would be marrying into."

The slightest flicker of hope sparked in Draco's eyes.

* * *

><p>Draco's mother waited outside the hospital room.<p>

"How is he?" Narcissa gestured vaguely at the door.

"As well as can be expected." Luna shrugged. "I wish they didn't feel the need to drug him."

Narcissa led the way to the lift. "Let's go to the tea shop and get something."

Luna nodded and followed. "What did you find out from Lucius?"

"He sent the pictures. " Narcissa huffed. "Dolohov was apparently the one who took them, and blackmailed Lucius with them. Knowing that bastard, I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't blackmailing Rod as well. Lucius believes he has all the copies of the pictures. Hopefully he's correct. Nothing turned up in any of the searches the aurors performed on Dolohov's or Rod's belongings after the war."

Luna nodded. "Draco will be relieved of that. He's horrified at the idea of them being made public. He was even terribly upset over the idea of the aurors seeing them."

"Unfortunately, I'm sure the aurors have seen worse." Narcissa sighed. "He has nothing to worry about. They won't be made public. Lucius was posturing."

They reached the tea room and found a table in the corner. They ordered drinks and a light breakfast, before Narcissa cast a silencing charm around the table.

"About our ... discussion ... last night ... " she began.

"The matter is closed." Luna replied firmly. "Draco is too fragile right now. His trust in others has been damaged, and I am not going to trick him."

"I agree with you." Narcissa said softly. "Bella hurt him so much, and you've helped to heal him. I don't want to sabotage his recovery by damaging his trust in you. He was hurting so much before you came along. He was lost and I couldn't get through to him. He's come a long way, but he still has quite a way to go."

The waitress brought their order. Narcissa took a dainty sip of tea and picked up a piece of toast, but didn't bite it yet.

"I'm sure Draco will feel more stable and secure once you're married." his mother continued. "The ideas that you may leave him or that his father will somehow stop the wedding are very much on his mind right now. Once the wedding and the adoption are complete, I think you'll make great strides with him."

Luna chewed her own toast thoughtfully. "I hope you're right. The idea of going to Azkaban is also very heavy on him. Bella told him once what would happen if he ever went there, and then tortured him to get her point across. We have to keep him out of there. I'm afraid that might break him."

"We have a team of attorneys and investigators doing everything they can to build his defense." Narcissa put her toast down untouched.

"So we're clear on this." Luna looked at her future mother in law. "I am not going to switch potions on him and you are going to let go of the idea."

Narcissa held out her hand for them to shake on it. "I will not ask you to switch potions on him."

They continued to pick at their food in silence, until the clock on the wall chimed eight. As if waiting for that moment, a dark haired young woman slid into the chair beside Narcissa.

"Pansy dear," Narcissa gave her a peck on the cheek. "Always good to see you."

Luna watched the two of them, wide eyed.

"Likewise." Pansy smiled at the older woman affectionately. "Good morning, Luna." she offered the blonde what appeared to be a sincere smile.

"Luna, love, do close your mouth." Narcissa smiled regally. "We have a wedding and press release to plan."

* * *

><p>"Mr. Malfoy." Robards stepped into the interrogation room. "We know you're responsible for those pictures being sent to your son."<p>

"The auror department is troubling themselves over it?" the deposed lord arched one eyebrow. "It was a family matter."

"You will not show those pictures to anyone else." the chief auror leaned over, placing his palms on the table. "You will turn over any and all copies to be destroyed."

"And if I refuse?" Lucius sneered.

"Your son was sixteen in those pictures." Robards stood straight and folded his arms. "That makes them child pornography. Do you know the penalty for distributing child pornography in the wizarding world, Mr. Malfoy?"

Lucius paled but did not speak.

"Lifetime revocation of your magic and prison time in Azkaban. Not to mention, the other inmates are not fond of anyone who promotes sexual abuse of a child for their own gain." Robards walked around the table, past Malfoy's back, and placed his hip on the end of the table. "Now the auror department is willing to overlook the one instance. It was, as you say, a family matter. But we will not be so generous if there is a repeat action."

"Why are you trying to protect my son?" Lucius snapped. "He's a criminal."

"So are you." Robards replied easily. "But that's what aurors do. Protect people from criminals."


	82. Chapter 80

Luna looked back and forth between the two women sitting across from her.

"What's wrong, Luna?" Narcissa asked, finishing her tea.

She shook her head slightly. "Well, I really should be getting home to Caelum." she glanced again at Pansy. "And this is just rather awkward."

"Only if the two of you make it so." the older woman dismissed with a flick of her hand. "Pansy is Draco's oldest friend. And sadly, it's not like the two of you have a wealth of friends to chose from."

"It is rather awkward." Pansy agreed with a tight smile. "And I still don't understand why you needed one of Draco's friends rather than one of Luna's friends."

"No one said I didn't need one of Luna's friends." Narcissa looked over at her future daughter in law. "In fact, if you have someone in mind, I would love to have their cooperation as well. But for the press release, I thought it would make more of an impact if your friends were interviewed. Particularly Pansy, as Rita Skeeter claimed to have spoken with her." She smiled at the dark haired girl. "I thought you would appreciate the chance to set the record straight."

"Set it straight about what?" Pansy frowned.

"That Draco is not the reprobate that other article made him to be. How happy you are for Draco and Luna. That sort of thing." Narcissa shrugged. "Throw in a mention of your upcoming marriage. Show the world that you have both moved on, and are mature friends now."

"And we'll just spout rainbows and unicorns and baby kneazles." Pansy rolled her eyes.

Luna stood. "I know you mean well, but I have been sitting by Draco's bedside most of the night. Again. I'm tired, and I just want to go home, take a shower, hug my baby, and maybe take a nap with him."

"Could I … " Pansy began, then broke off, face flushed.

Luna tilted her head, looking at the other girl curiously.

"I was going to ask if I could meet him. Caelum." Pansy looked away, embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I'm sure it's not a good time."

Luna smiled. "Come on, then."

Narcissa tossed a couple galleon coins on the table, probably three times their bill, and followed the two young women to the floo. They arrived at the Manor, and Luna led the way to the nursery, telling Pansy all about Caelum.

"Mummy!" Caelum looked up from the floor, holding his arms up and opening and closing his hands.

His mummy swooped him up into a hug, giving him a kiss on the cheek and making him giggle.

She turned him in her arms to face the visitor. "This is ... "

"Aunt Pansy." the stranger interrupted, reaching over to tickle Caelum's feet. "It's nice to finally meet you." she smiled at the baby.

He grinned at someone paying him attention and began chattering to Pansy, pointing to his horse and "Efff."

When he finished, Pansy looked over at Luna. "He's adorable."

"Right now he is." Luna agreed. "It's a little different when he's sick, or when he's tired and cranky, or when he's upset and wants Draco." She kissed the top of the child's head. "But I wouldn't trade him for anything."

There was a flash at that moment, and the two young women looked up to see that Narcissa had just taken a picture. "That's perfect." she smirked.

* * *

><p>Draco drifted back to sleep after Luna left, only to be awakened a short time later by an aide bringing his breakfast tray. He ate the runny eggs and drank the weak tea, before gingerly testing his legs. Finding himself steady enough, even though still a bit lightheaded, he slowly made his way to the loo.<p>

When he returned, Danko was waiting for him.

"Surprised it took you this long." Draco muttered.

"Yes, well, you had plenty to sleep off." Danko shrugged. "You know why I'm here."

"I'm supposed to tell you how I feel about what happened last night." Draco rolled his eyes.

"Well, first of all, I'd like to know where the pictures and letter came from." Danko looked at him over the top of his clipboard.

"Someone slipped them under the door." Draco frowned. "I didn't see who."

"Did you know about the photos before that?" Danko continued.

"No idea they exisisted." Draco shook his head. "No idea who could have taken them."

"Apparently ... " Danko flipped up a parchment on his clipboard. "Antonin Dolohov. He blackmailed your father with them. Which is how your father ended up with them, he paid off Dolohov."

Draco nodded but didn't answer.

"The auror department has all of the pictures. They will be destroyed. No one else will ever see them." Danko assured.

Draco released the breath he didn't realize he was holding.

"You were worried about that." Danko's observation was a statement rather than a question.

"Yeah." Draco agreed, staring toward the window.

"You're still upset." the healer prodded gently.

"Wouldn't you be?" Draco raged, standing to stomp across the room and snatch the curtain back from the window. "If you were the kid whose aunt kept cornering you and forcing you to have sex with her, to know that someone was watching, taking pictures, and making _money_ off it?"

"You have a right to feel used and betrayed." Danko said softly. "But it's over now. Bella and Dolohov are both dead."

"Sick bastard." Draco muttered. "Probably got off on looking at those pictures."

Danko waited patiently.

"My father, I mean." Draco added.

"Do you want to ask him?" Danko raised an eyebrow at his patient.

"What? No!" Draco shuddered.

"So what happened upstairs when you saw the pictures?" Danko asked. "I heard you gave the night shift quite a fright."

"I was ... it was like it was happening all over again. I knew exactly when and where one of those pictures was taken, and it was as if I were pulled back into the incident. I could see and hear and smell and feel it all over again."

"That's a flashback." Danko scribbled something on his clipboard. "I take it this wasn't the first time you've experienced such an event."

"No." Draco shook his head. "Since ... Luna came along, they don't happen as often, but I've had them ... I think the first one was right before I went back to school sixth year, just after Bella told everyone she was pregnant."

"Did you have them at school?" Danko looked at his curiously.

"A few." Draco wandered back to flop onto the bed. "Most of the time I was alone that year, so there was only twice that anyone else saw it happen. Of course, Crabbe and Goyle thought it was some mysterious Death Eater thing and that it was fantastically wonderful, so they just sat and watched."

The silence stretched out a moment before Draco drew his knees up and wrapped his arms around himself.

"What is it?" Danko asked gently.

"When I go to Azkaban," Draco said softly. "Luna won't be there to help me. There won't be anyone there to help me."

"That's why you need to learn to help yourself." Danko pulled an item out of his pocket and held it out to Draco.

The patient turned the item over in his hands. "It's an old tea tin, shrunken down."

"What else do you notice about it?" a hint of a smile played around Danko's lips.

"It's cold." Draco's frown deepened.

Danko nodded. "It's been charmed to be cold to the touch all the time."

"Why?" Draco looked up, totally perplexed.

"It will help ground you." the healer explained. "If you feel yourself being pulled into a flashback, grab the tin. Feel the coldness, and know that _this_ is what's real. Not the flashback. I'm also going to give you a low dose of medication to take daily."

Draco's head snapped up and he glared at the healer. "I don't want potions."

"I really think this will help you." Danko looked at him seriously. "Just try it for a short time. It's something that will calm you and slow down your thought process just slightly, which will give you more time to tell yourself that the flashback isn't real before you're immersed in it."

"The ability to think quickly is the only thing that's saved my life quite a few times over the past couple years." Draco growled. "I don't want anything to slow it down."

"The war is over." Danko reminded him.

"I'm going to Azkaban." Draco snapped. "After I participated in 383 Death Eater related crimes, and then turned on the Dark Lord in the final battle. I don't expect to have many friends."

"You're not going tomorrow." Danko folded his arms. "Let's just try the medication for a week or so and see what happens. If it doesn't work, then it doesn't work, and there's no reason to continue."

"Fine." Draco grumbled.

"They're going to move you back to your regular room later, as long as nothing changes. I still want you to work on that second letter to Bella if you feel up to it." Danko stood and folded his chair until he slipped it into his pocket.

Draco rolled over on his stomach, closed his eyes, and thought of Luna and Caelum.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Coming in One Week - The New Quibbler!<em>**

_by Andy Smudgley_

_One week from today, The Quibbler is re-launching their magazine! The publication known for offbeat journalism and reports on fantastic beast not even covered in the famous Scamander textbook will publish their first issue since being seized by Death Eater forces nearly two months ago._

_In an exclusive interview, Xenophilius Lovegood expressed his excitement at returning to his life's work. He promises articles on subjects other publications cannot or will not tackle. The first issue promises to be such, as the feature article will be the supposed true story of Draco Malfoy and his involvement with the Death Eaters, with exclusive interviews of Mr. Malfoy himself and his closest friends and family. The upcoming article has been discussed every morning for the past several days on Brunch with Brunhilda and several other programmes. Lovegood vows that he is preparing a record run of the magazine, but newstands across the country are already predicting that the weekly publication will most likely sell out within hours._

_As a reporter myself, I had to ask Mr. Lovegood about the question of journalistic integrity. After all, the subject of the article is the son of Lovegod's lifelong enemy, as well as the fiance of Lovegood's only daughter. Did he not feel that the article may be compromised?_

_"That is why I am the perfect person to tell this story." he explained. "Because I do have such mixed emotions about the young man. I never in my wildest dreams thought my daughter would marry a Malfoy. I never wanted to see her drop out of school and accept the responsibility of a motherless child at such a young age. But on the other hand, I have never seen my daughter so happy as this young man and his son make her. Furthermore, his story is just remarkable, and should be told. I do believe, even if it weren't for the fact he is my future son in law, if I had learned Draco's story, I would have wanted to write it, especially after that ridiculous Rita Skeeter article."_

_But is the young couple the modern day Romeo and Juliet?_

_"I should hope not!" Lovegood joked. "Romeo and Juliet both died! Beyond that statement, however, I will leave the interpretation to the readers once they have the facts."_

_Mr. Lovegood declined to go into further details, promising that the full story will be told in next week's issue, and the readers will not be disappointed._

_He did leave us with this one photograph, promising several pages of more pictures to come next week. Here you see Draco Malfoy, Luna Lovegood, and Draco's son Caelum at the boy's first birthday in February. Obviously, Miss Lovegood is not being mistreated as the slanderous Skeeter article stated._

_Certainly all of the wizarding world will be anxiously awaiting the released of next week's Quibbler._


	83. Chapter 81

_Dear Bella,_

_I don't even know what to say here. I'm supposed to confront my feelings for you, and I don't even know what they are. _

_I didn't want the relationship we had in the beginning. But once I realized I had no choice, I tried to make what was between us into what I thought a relationship should be. _

_I was protective of you, which was a joke. You could kill me with one finger. But I still watched over you. _

_I was jealous of Rod, which was ridiculous. Everyone knew you had separate bedrooms long before you went to Azkaban. But he was still your husband. He sat beside you at dinner and walked into the room with his hand on your back. He had parts of you I never would. _

_I wanted you to feel the same way about me. I wanted you to stay, even for a few minutes after we had sex, just so that it would feel more like a relationship and less like rape. You never did, unless you wanted to rape me again. I wanted you to hold me and sleep beside me. _

He closed the notebook and threw it across the room.

* * *

><p>Narcissa sighed in exasperation. "Luna, you're getting married in six days. You don't even have a wedding robe. We have things to get done."<p>

"Why do I need a wedding dress?" Luna asked. "Why can't I just get married in my jeans? It's not like we're having a huge formal wedding."

"Because one day your great grandchildren will be looking at old pictures and they won't realize it was your wedding because you're not wearing wedding attire." Narcissa rolled her eyes.

"Why does it matter?" Luna tilted her head. "As long as we're married, why do they need a picture to show them what we wore?"

"Because they just do!" Narcissa snapped. "I have been planning my son's wedding since before he was born. We're not going to have 500 guests, a band, a sit down dinner, or dancing, so could we at least have decent clothing?"

So Luna had allowed herself to be dragged to the finest bridal boutique in the country the following morning. She tried on at least a dozen dresses before she, her future mother in law, and the saleslady all agreed they had found the perfect one.

Caelum was measured for a tiny set of dress robes, which he apparently equated with being restrained and did not appreciate it. Once he was dressed, however, everyone made a fuss over him, telling him how handsome he was, and he quickly got over being angry and commenced preening. Narcissa declared him a true Malfoy.

They brought in one of Draco's dress robes that fit well and ordered a new outfit for him using the same measurements.

They went to lunch afterwards. Caelum charmed the staff by chattering and eating his food enthusiastically.

Narcissa started on caterers, cakes, and the guest list for dinner at the Manor after the wedding.

"He only has twenty four hours. I don't think he would want to have a party as much as he would just want to spend time with his family." Luna shook her head.

"But he has social obligations." Narcissa insisted.

"I'm sure, under the circumstances, society would understand." Luna replied dryly.

Narcissa pleaded, cajoled, whined, and argued until Luna agreed to a small dinner. She left her mother in law to plan while she took Caelum home for his nap and went to St Mungos to see Draco.

Luna walked into his hospital room and immediately noticed the notebook on the floor beside the door. She bent to pick it up.

"What's this?" she asked.

Draco looked over from where he stared sullenly out the window. "My homework isn't going well."

"What is your homework?" she crossed the room, sliding her arms around his waist.

"I'm supposed to write a letter to Bella, telling her I loved her." he snarled. "Write a letter to a woman who didn't love me, who threw me away. And our son."

She reached up to lay a hand on his cheek and turn it toward her gently. "Just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to doesn't mean they don't love you the only way they know how."

"She threw away our son." he repeated. "After everything she put me through to get that child. After she carried him for almost seven and a half months."

"Have you ever known a wizarding family raising a child who's different?" she said softly. "She was just going along with the way she was raised, just like her pureblood beliefs. She never thought Caelum could have a worthwhile life because no one ever showed her that it was possible."

"Just stop!" he nearly shouted. "She was evil. She did terrible things to me. She tried to kill you. She wanted my son dead. Don't try to make me feel sorry for her!"

"I think that's part of the problem." she told him. "You're trying to see people as black or white. There are so many lovely shades of grey in between."

He pulled free from her arms. "Do _not_ tell me you're defending her."

"No." she shook her head. "But if you accept that there were reasons that she was the way she was, and that she possibly even had some good qualities, you won't hate yourself so much for the feelings you had for her."

"I still can't believe she's really dead." he said, barely above a whisper. "I don't want to miss her."

"Draco, you're never going to be able to remove her influence on your life. She's your son's mother. But even if there wasn't Caelum, she still affected you probably more than anyone else you know. She's always going to be a part of how you came to be who you are today. You're always going to think of her. There will be some little part of you that will always love her. But you have to find a way to put her in the place she belongs. In the past. In a place where she won't ever hurt you again. Allowing yourself to fall into the tricks and mindsets she taught you give her continued control. Let her go and let her be dead. It's the only way you're going to be able to live the rest of your life. She took your control away, you said. It's time for you to take it back."

"Use legilimency on me." he told her softly.

She looked into his eyes, and he nodded. She took a deep breath and stepped into his mind.

He showed Luna more than a dozen memories. The first time Bella molested him. The night he made the decision not to fight her. Some of the more brutal times and ways she had assaulted him. The night Caelum was born. The night he begged her to come to the hospital to see their dying baby and she refused. The first time he successfully cast a cruciatus curse, and she had hugged him excitedly. The time Bella challenged him to a broom race and laughed as they shoved each other much like he had Potter during Quidditch, trying to gain the advantage. Him begging her to stay with him just a little while after they had sex. The day he brought Caelum home from the hospital, when she turned up her nose and walked away.

By the time they finished, they were both crying and exhausted.

"I wish I could make it all go away." she whispered.

"You do." he answered.

* * *

><p>AN - Sorry that the updates have slowed a bit. Real life has been kicking my butt lately, but it looks like things should be slowing down by the end of this week. We're getting close to some big things and I'm pretty eager to get it all written and posted.

I've posted another Draco-Luna story, thirteen years of their lives in 5k words, for a challenge. Not as heavy and dark as this. It's called Real and the link is on my profile if you'd like to read it.


	84. Chapter 82

Draco was moved back to the fourth floor that afternoon, escorted through the hallways in shackles by two aurors and three healers. Danko dropped in minutes later.

"I've been talking to Robards." he announced.

Draco just gave him a withering look.

"The thing is, in order for you be furloughed to get married, you have to be released from medical holding."

Draco sat up a little straighter.

"I understand this letter is harder for you to write than the others have been. But it's rather important for you to get this one done while you're still here, because it's likely to stir up some intense emotions. Once this one is done, as long as we can handle whatever it may trigger, I will clear you to be moved back to the Ministry." Danko told him.

Draco frowned. "But I'm not ... fixed, not even close."

Danko smiled. "No, you're not. But I will continue to work with you on an outpatient basis. I will come to the Ministry for us to continue your healing. And if it comes about that you do go to Azkaban, the aurors will recommend that we continue your treatment during your imprisonment."

"If I go to Azkaban, there probably won't be anything left of my mind to heal." Draco snorted.

"I think there will be." Danko nodded. "You're stronger than you give yourself credit for. You've survived things that have caused many others to give in or be crushed under the stress."

"Well I haven't actually gotten through unscathed, now have I?" Draco rolled his eyes.

"No one expects that anyone who has been through what you have would be unscathed." Danko assured. "That's the whole purpose of our treatment. To put the scars and damage into perspective and help you to live with them."

"Can we really?" Draco asked, his face annoyed but his voice vulnerable. "Will it ever stop? Because it doesn't feel like it now."

"The scars, the reminders will always be there. But over time, you will stop seeing them as open, gaping wounds. You'll realize they're healing. They don't hurt so much any more. Not to say that the hurt will ever be completely gone, but that it won't be such a large part of your life any more. You'll start to see them as proof of what you've overcome. Part of what made you who you are." Danko looked at him with quiet conviction.

Draco did not look convinced.

"When you look at Harry Potter, physically, tell me what you see." Danko gestured with his hands.

Draco raised an eyebrow but didn't answer.

"Seriously," Danko encouraged. "Tell me how you would describe what he looks like to someone who's never met him."

"Dark messy hair, round glasses, green eyes, about this tall." Draco held his hand out. "Still skinny, but he has put on some weight, rather fair skinned, got a lightning bolt shaped scar right here ... "

"See?" Danko pointed out. "The whole wizarding world knows about Potter's scar, but that's not the first thing you would say about him. The scar is healed. Once yours are healed, they will fade into the backdrop as well."

Draco nodded, but still didn't look convinced.

* * *

><p>Narcissa came late that afternoon, cheeks flushed with excitement. She rattled off everything she had planned for Draco and Luna's wedding and his furlough afterwards, including the dinner party.<p>

"Mother," he grumbled. "This is supposed to be my honeymoon. It may well be the only twenty four hours I ever have with my wife and son without a guard standing over us."

"Oh, I'll give you plenty of time with your wife." Narcissa winked. "I am still hoping for another grandchild."

"Not going to happen." Draco snorted. "Not unless some miracle happens and I escape Azkaban. Which isn't likely, unless pretty much the entire wizarding world drops dead between now and my trial."

"Draco," she looked at him pityingly. "We're going to do everything we can to keep you out of Azkaban. But even if you do have to go, there's no reason you can't have another child. Luna is a wonderful mother. She will have me and the elves to help ... "

"No, Mother." he said firmly, the look on his face indicating the subject was no longer open for discussion.

"When are they going to release you from the hospital?" she asked. "We need a few pictures of you in your cell at the Ministry for the article."

He rolled his eyes. "After I write a letter to Bella, and the healer makes sure my head doesn't explode."

"Well get to writing, then." she stood, gathering her bag and her cloak. "I'll see you tomorrow. I hope you'll be in a better mood then."

"Mother."

She turned around, but he was looking at the floor. "What happened to Greg?"

She walked back over to kiss him on the head before she left. "I don't know, but I'll see if I can find out for you."

* * *

><p><em>Dear Bella,<em>

_This is the fifth time I've written this letter and I still don't know what to say._

_I loved you. That's the thing I'm supposed to tell you._

_I loved you first as my aunt. I don't remember you before you went away, but my mother told me that you and I adored each other. When you came back, I was a bit afraid of you, but wanted you to be part of our family._

_Then our relationship began. I didn't want to have that kind of relationship with you, but at the same time, it made me feel special. You had chosen me for this. You wouldn't sleep with your husband and everyone knew it, but you were having sex with me. You built my ego with compliments. I was rather inexperienced, and you were rather adventurous. Most of my "firsts" were with you._

_I began to see our relationship as a boyfriend/girlfriend thing because that's how I thought it should be. Two people who have sex every night shouldn't act like barely acquaintances during the day. I wanted you to tell me you loved me. To snuggle with me. To talk to each other._

_You never wanted those things, and I was hurt. But I think I understand a little better now that I know what happened to you when you were a teenager. You were probably afraid to let anyone get close. You were afraid of being hurt. You chose to block everyone out to protect yourself._

_Knowing that, it still hurts a little that you didn't trust me enough to let me get close. Part of me is glad you didn't, because that would have made this whole thing just that much more of a fucked up mess. But it also makes me hurt for you, and maybe to love you a little more._

_You threw me away. I was hurt and confused and didn't understand. So I became angry. I hated you. Because you didn't love me any more._

_You were pregnant with Caelum. I didn't want him at first. I didn't want any child. I was disgusted and sickened by the whole idea of having a child through incest. But there was a part of me that was proud that it was my child you were carrying, even if I didn't want anyone to know it._

_When he was born and you rejected him as completely as you rejected me, it hurt me even more. He was half of me. You didn't want me, and you didn't want him. I held out hope, even for weeks after he came home, that you would change your mind and you would love both of us again. As wrong as it was, that we would be together because a set of parents and their baby are supposed to be together. You never did. Not until Luna came along. Then you wanted me back, just because you didn't want Luna to have me, not because you really did love me or Caelum. By then I had been angry at you so long, it had changed everything I felt about you. I wasn't drawn back in. I understood the difference in the things I felt for you and the things I felt for her, even if I didn't want to admit my feelings for her at the time._

_I love Luna now, and she loves me. On one hand, it's not the twisted, depraved kind of love I shared with you. On the other, it's not completely normal either because being with you changed everything in my life. She's showing me how love should be. She's the kind of mother Caelum should have had all along. I don't have to justify things in my head with her._

_I'm going to marry Luna. I love her. Not the way I loved you. Her love fixes what your love destroyed._

_I don't know how to end this letter. Kind of like I never knew how to end our relationship._

_Draco_


	85. Chapter 83

_Draco was standing on the raised platform that had once graced the ballroom at Malfoy Manor, in the days before it became the Dark Lord's throne room. His father stood at his side, and his Uncle Rab beside him, both in full Death Eater robes and masks._

_Draco looked down to find he was also in uniform._

_He looked behind him. Voldemort smirked._

_He looked around. The room was decorated for an occasion, with hundreds of candles, flowers, ribbons, and audience of Death Eaters._

_A narrow white carpet stretched into the shadows, toward the double doors. Draco realized what music was playing._

_The wedding march._

_This was his wedding._

_The bride began to come into focus, slowly making her way from the dark side of the room. The apprehension in Draco's soul grew as she approached._

_Luna was attired in what Draco thought was his mother's wedding robe. He hair was mostly pinned up, with a few curls trailing artfully over her neck, and a tiara Draco had seen on some great-to-the-dozenth power grandmother's portrait perched on her head._

_He wanted to shout at her to run, but he couldn't speak, and he couldn't move to grab her and run. He watched helplessly as she neared, not knowing what was coming, but certain that it would not be good._

_She stepped onto the platform beside him, and her father placed her hand in Draco's hand._

_"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in matrimony." Voldemort's voice was soft and dangerous._

_"Stop!" someone screeched._

_Draco did not need to look for the source of the sound. He knew that voice as well as he knew his own._

_Bellatrix stepped out of the crowd, gliding toward the platform as if she floated on air._

_"You can't marry her, Draco." Bella said softly, pushing between them and reaching out to trail her finger down the front of Draco's cloak. "You're Auntie Bella's boy. I won't share." She kissed his neck like she had done the night Dumbledore died, and then raised herself onto her tiptoes to curl her tongue around his ear. "You don't want me to share. You love being my boy."_

_"I love Luna." he whispered, but even to himself his voice sounded shaky and uncertain._

_"You love it when I tie you to the bed and fuck you until you can't remember your name." she smirked. "You love it when I suck you off."_

_His eyes widened and he looked over at the crowd, who were now twittering to one another._

_"Bella!" he hissed, trying to shove her away, but she was grinding her hips against his._

_"What's wrong, Draco?" she asked in her little girl voice. "Everyone knows. Everyone knows what a naughty boy you are."_

_"No." he whimpered, trying again to push her away._

_"Draco." she held the front of his robes in a death grip with one hand while fondling him through his clothes with the other. She smirked up at him. "You're ready for me. Right here, right now." she laughed deep in her throat. "But you're always ready for me, aren't you?"_

_He looked over to Luna, who watched the scene before her with open disgust._

_"Luna," he pleaded._

_His fiancee looked between him and Bella, as if unsure._

_Bella's wand flicked in a flash. The candles and flowers flew from the table nearby, and Draco found himself in their place, sprawled on his back._

_"Let's show them all that you're Auntie Bella's boy." she crowed, his outer robes opening with another swish of her wand._

_"No!" he shouted, angry now. "Leave me alone, Bella!"_

_"You have to chose, Draco." Bella released him from the spell that bound him to the tabletop. "You can be my boy, or you can go along and marry your little blood traitor."_

_He practically leaped to his fiancee's side._

_"I choose Luna." he informed his aunt defiantly._

_"You think you do." the older woman shrugged._

_Draco's arm suddenly was no longer under his control. His hand drew back and slapped Luna hard across the face, splitting her lip and sending her to the floor at his feet. She touched her hand to her mouth and looked up at him, wide eyed._

_"You!" his head snapped to face Bella. "You did that!"_

_She laughed. "No, Draco. You did it."_

_"No!" he insisted. "I would never hurt Luna!"_

_"You might not_ plan_ to hurt her." Bella walked over to him, laying her hand against his back. "But you will. You'll never be free of me, and as long as I'm here, part of you will hurt Luna. The part that still wants me."_

_"No!" he shouted._

_"But you still want me, Draco. And she stands between us. She's trying to take you away from me." Bella poked out her bottom lip in a perfect pout._

_To his horror, Draco knelt in front of Luna. She offered him a trembling smile, believing he had bent to help her up. Her eyes widened, and she began to scramble backwards, as instead of taking her hand, his hands closed around her throat._

_"Do it, Draco." Bella urged, whispering directly into his air. Her breath tickled, and the tickles sent shivers directly to his groin._

_Luna's face turned red, and then purple, as her hands clawed frantically at his fingers. He released one hand from around her throat. Her eyes conveyed relief._

_Until Draco pulled her neck in one direction and shoved her head in the other, as he had seen Bella do. There was a sickening crack, and Luna went limp in his hands._

_Bella squealed in delight, turning his head to one side to kiss him as her other hand snaked around his waist and headed lower._

_"Now you're mine forever." she bit down hard on his lip, and then smiled at him with his blood on her mouth._

_Draco suddenly realized what he had done, shoving Bella away and frantically shaking Luna's lifeless form. "No! Luna! Don't be dead!"_

_"You didn't mean to, but you did. You destroyed her." Bella said from behind him, sounding pleased. "You will always belong to me."_

_"No!" he shouted once more, but an instant later he reached for Bella, pulling her head toward his._

Draco opened his eyes, chest heaving, heart pounding, and realized at once he was in his room on the fourth floor at St Mungos.

He sat up as the door opened. The night shift healer's assistant made his way to the bed.

"What happened?" the man - Moffett? - asked.

"Nightmare." Draco gasped. "I need to talk to Luna."

"Visiting hours don't start for another six hours or so." the assistant shrugged.

"No!" Draco let the panic wash over him. "I just need to make certain that she's all right. I just need to talk to her or see her for a moment."

"I'm certain she's fine." the man assured him. "I'm sure she's probably asleep at this hour."

"But I need to know!" Draco insisted.

"Why wouldn't she be?" the man made a face of annoyance.

"Because I killed her in my dream!" Draco shouted.

"What did you say?" the man's eyes widened.

"Are you fucking deaf?" Draco's eyes narrowed.

"Look, I know you Death Eaters can do some freaky shit. But do you really think you could have killed her by dreaming about it?" the healer's assistant looked a bit uncertain.

Draco took the man's hesitation and ran with it. "I don't know, do I? I've been trained to do things I don't even understand! I have to talk to her to make sure she's all right!"

The man nodded, backing away without taking his eyes off the patient. "I'll see if I can maybe floo call her for you or something."

Draco lay back on his bed, shuddering.

_Luna is fine. Luna is fine._ He repeated in his head. He reached to the floor under the edge of his bed, finding the tea tin. He brought it to his chest, fingers wrapped around its coldness. _This is real. The dream was not real._

A few minutes later, the door opened. Luna blew into the room. She started to kneel beside the bed, but Draco pulled her onto the cot with him, wrapping his arms around her. He rained tiny kisses onto her face.

"Please tell me you're all right." he whispered.

"I'm fine." she assured. "Whatever it was, it was just a dream."

"You were dead." he choked, trying not to cry. "I killed you. I killed you for Bella."

"It was a dream, Draco." she kissed him, smoothing his hair. "It wasn't real. This. Here. Now. This is real. I am very much alive."

"We were getting married. Bella was there." he told her. "She told me that I would always be her boy. That I would destroy you over her."

"It was a dream, Draco." Luna repeated gently.

"But she was right, wasn't she?" his voice cracked at the end. "Part of me will always belong to her. And I will hurt you if I try to hold onto you. I won't mean to, but I will hurt you because of her."

"Draco, she has hurt you so much. Without a doubt it's going to alter the way you think and feel about things. But I don't hold that against you. It's not you hurting me. It's Bella hurting me through you." she stroked his hair, snuggling closer, willing him to calm.

"But in the end, I'm still hurting you." he whispered. "I can't do this. I can't marry you, knowing I will only destroy you in the end. There's too much of me still tied up in Bella. I'm not ready."

"Draco." she hugged him tighter. "You're still letting Bella control you. You won't destroy me. I'm stronger than you think." she drew back and looked into his eyes. "But if you're really not ready to get married, I'll wait."

He looked confused. "We can't wait. Caelum ... "

"We will figure out what to do about Caelum. But if you're not ready, you shouldn't get married." Luna bit her lip.

"I don't know what to do." he moaned. "I'm hurting you now. I can't keep hurting you. But I can't get better without you either."

"You have to figure it out." she said softly. "You're the only one who can."

"I don't know what to do, Luna." he whispered.

"Listen to your heart." she placed her hand over his chest.

"I'm sorry." he kissed her forehead, placing his hand over hers on his heart.

"I'm sorry too." she told him. "I'm that you're hurting like this. I'm sorry you feel pressured." she looked up into his eyes again. "But I'm not sorry you're in my life. I'm not sorry that I feel this way about you."

She began to slide her ring off her finger, but his hand closed over hers. "No. Don't take it off. I still love you. I just have to figure things out first."

She nodded, slipping off the bed. "I won't come tomorrow - well - today. I'll give you some time to think."

"Luna ... " he began.

"Just let me go now. We will take some time. We have four days before the wedding. If that's not enough time, we can ask the Wizengamot for more. We still don't even have a trial date yet." she walked toward the door.

"I love you." he said as she reached for the doorknob. "I do. Really. But part of me loves her too and I don't know what to do."

She nodded, stepping out into the hall. She silenced his door, then slid down the wall, dissolving into tears.

* * *

><p>AN - These last two chapters have been incredibly difficult for me to write. But they're done, and now the creativity is rolling again, so updates should be back up to speed soon.

Oh Em Gee - 450 reviews! Thank you so much to all of you.


	86. Chapter 84

Luna pulled herself together enough to floo home. Poor Rinka was distressed to the point of pulling her own ears when she saw Luna's face, but Luna assured the elf everything would be all right. She lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling for an hour or so until she heard Caelum begin to stir. Making her way next door, she found the boy sitting up in his crib, smiling at her.

"Mummy!" he held up his hands.

Luna picked him up and hugged him. Rinka brought their breakfast. Luna packed a bag for Caelum while he ate, and then forced herself to choke down a piece of toast and some tea.

"Rinka, please tell Mistress Cissy that Caelum and I will be back for supper." Luna loaded up baby and bag and walked outside and downstairs to apparate.

* * *

><p>Draco was awake the rest of the night.<p>

Bella and Luna swirled in his head.

The darkness and the light.

The saviour and the destroyer.

He loved Luna. He knew that. But there was a part of him that couldn't let go of Bella.

He would never have a future with Bella. Bella was dead.

So why wouldn't she just stay in the past and leave him alone?

He finally fell into a fitful sleep just before the dawn.

_He was in the garden at the Manor._

_Luna was seated on a blanket, maybe 25 meters away. Two little boys were with her, one dark haired, one as blond as Draco._

_His sons._

_His little family played together, Luna and the boys all laughing as they tried to catch bubbles that sprang from the end of her wand._

_Luna finally looked over his way, and her smile turned to sadness. She deliberately turned her head away, back to her games with the boys._

_Draco tried to go to her, but he only took two steps before he was stopped in his tracks._

_He looked down to see that he had chains attached to his wrists, ankles, and waist. He turned to see where the chains led._

_He was chained to a rock at the foot of Bella's grave. Bella was sitting on top of the tombstone._

_"Let me go." he growled._

_"I don't think I will." she smirked._

_"Why won't you?" he asked. "Why can't you just let me go and let me be happy with Luna and my children?"_

_"I'm not the one holding you." she studied her nails._

_"Bella!" he roared. "I'm chained to your fucking grave!"_

_"I didn't chain you there." she shrugged. "I just brought you here. You chained yourself."_

_"What?" he frowned. "No I didn't."_

_"Yes, you did." she nodded, answering him in her sing-song little girl voice. "You won't leave me. You miss me. And you feel guilty."_

_"I do not!" he shouted._

_"Do tooooooo," she mocked, giggling._

_"Bella, let me go!" he demanded._

_"Sorry, can't help you." she turned so that her back was toward him, swinging her feet and singing some bawdy pub song._

_Draco turned back around. "Luna!" he shouted. "Help me!"_

_Luna and the boys continued playing with their bubbles as if they couldn't hear him._

_He turned back toward Bella, pleading for her assistance. She continued singing as if she couldn't hear him either. He tried to reach her, but the chains were too short. He stood between the two women, unable to reach them, and unable to communicate with them._

He was awakened by Moffett's replacement bringing his breakfast tray.

"You okay?" the woman asked, not seeming to care about his answer.

"No, I was trampled by a herd of hippogriffs during the night." he snarked.

"Nah, hippogriffs would be on the first floor." she shot back.

She left him with a tray of runny eggs and lumpy lukewarm oatmeal. He picked through his breakfast. wishing he was home.

Except that he wasn't sure what or where home was any more. Or who would be there waiting for him.

Danko came in about the time Draco decided he couldn't stand another bite of his food.

"So, bad night?" the healer asked, unfolding his chair.

"I don't know what the hell last night was." Draco growled, flinging himself backwards to lay on the bed.

"Tell me about it." Danko instructed.

Draco relayed the two dreams, and his conversation with Luna in between.

"What do you think of all of it?" Danko asked.

"I think I'm ... what is the expression? Mad as a march hare?" Draco snorted.

"Why do you say that?" the healer scribbled something on his clipboard.

"Because I called off my wedding over what happened in a dream. But I still wonder if the dream is right. Is all this stuff in my head, or is it real?" Draco frowned.

"Oh, it's in your head." Danko shrugged. "But that doesn't mean it's not real."

"But ... " Danko could see the wheels turning in Draco's head, trying to transform his thoughts to words. "How can I love two people? And what kind of a person does it make me if I love Bella after everything she did? And is she right, that I'm the one who's not letting her go? And why would I feel guilty, when she's the one who abused me?"

"Well, let's take those things one at a time, shall we?" the healer wrote on his clipboard again. "You may feel guilty for the fact you survived. Many soldiers even mourn for the casualties on the other side of the war. You may feel guilty because of the feelings you still harbor for Bella, and the hurt they cause Luna. Can you love more than one person? Of course. You just never love two people in the same way. You love Luna, Caelum, and your mother, but none of them in the same way." he paused to look at Draco, who nodded. "There are many different kinds of love. What should concern you is the difference between Luna's love, which has been beneficial to you, and Bella's love, that was manipulative and destructive."

"Which makes me a depraved son of a bitch for trying to hold onto it." Draco grumbled.

"I wouldn't say that. Actually, it's not surprising that you would hold onto your feelings for Bella. You said yourself that your well being, and to some degree, your very life, depended on your appeasing her whims. She could have killed you if she wanted. Self-preservation is an overwhelming instinct. She also held control over the sexual pleasure you were getting at the time. That's a very powerful force in a human being's life, especially a young person, not very experienced. Then you factor in fear of the unknown. There have been documented cases of people who have served long prison terms and finished their time, who either refused to leave the prison, or committed another crime right off so that they could return to the prison, because they were comfortable there and afraid of the real world. For such a long time, your relationship with Bella was key to your survival. It's not surprising that it's difficult for you to let go of. Not to mention the fact that at the time, you were starving for affection. Bella was the one meeting that need, although not in the way you needed. You equated the sexual aspect of your relationship with love. It's understandable that it would be hard for you to let go of that, when you so desperately needed it."

Draco frowned. "So you're saying that I didn't really love her, I just fooled myself into thinking I did?"

Danko shook his head. "No, not at all. You did love her, and probably still do. Part of you probably always will, because you have a child with her, and you very much identify your son as part of yourself. We'll work on that eventually, by the way. But what your mind has done is to make what you had with her into what you needed, even though it was hurtful."

"But she did hurt me." Draco's brow creased. "I don't want to hold on to her. I want her out of my life so I can have a future with Luna. I need her gone."

"You're the only one who can do that." the healer told him.

"I think she still has some kind of hold on me." Draco folded his arms. "She knew more about Dark Magic than anyone else I've ever known except Voldemort." his eyes became unfocused as he let his mind wander. "Maybe she put some kind of spell on me that I can't be free of her. She and I drew blood from one another several times. Maybe it was some kind of blood magic. And then our blood is mixed in Caelum."

"Do you believe that?" Danko asked, writing furiously on his clipboard.

Draco thought for a minute. "I think I do. It's why I can't get rid of her. She's bound to me somehow." His brow creased as more thoughts came to him. "But I drew Luna's blood too. I didn't mean to, but you know ... the first time we were together, she was a virgin, and she bled." A stricken look crossed his face. "And our blood could be mingled. The last time we were together, we didn't use a spell or potion or anything. She could be ... "He looked up at Danko. "I have to get rid of the blood bind to Bella before it harms Luna."

"Is that what you really want? To be free from any influence Bella has on your life?" the healer looked at him seriously.

"Yes." Draco nodded emphatically. "How do we go abut breaking whatever spell she has on me? How do I get rid of her one and for all?"

Danko sighed and eyed Draco for a long moment before answering. "We can remove any spell you may be under. But _you_ have to want to be free from her. You have to let her go and not hold on to the past. You have to not let her control you mentally."

"I'll do it. Whatever it is, short of sacrificing my son, I will do it. I just want her gone." Draco pleaded.

"It won't be anything like that." Danko assured him. "I'll need a little time to check into it. To research into rituals and so forth."

"Can you do it today?" Draco asked excitedly.

Danko smiled. "I'll see what I can do. But first, slip your shoes on. You're going on a field trip."

Draco's look instantly turned to suspicion. "What do you mean, a field trip?"

"Come with me, and I'll show you." the healer stood and folded his chair.

Draco followed the healer only three doors down the hall, pausing outside a door very much like the one to Draco's room. "You asked, so I take it that means you are ready to know. I think it will do both of you a lot of good to talk to one another. If things get too intense in there, just knock on the door and someone will come."

He opened the door, escorting Draco inside.

Greg Goyle sat in a wheelchair in the middle of the room.

"Malfoy." the word was short and clipped.

"Goyle." the response was much the same.

The two stared at one another for several minutes before Draco finally sat on the bed.

"So your legs... " he began, then trailed off, unsure how to approach the subject.

"Don't fucking work." Goyle finished for him. "They call it a complete spinal cord injury at the T5 level. I'll never walk again."

"Wow." Draco said softly. "I'm sorry."

"So am I!" Goyle shouted. "I'm sorry you didn't just kill me. I'm sorry you didn't leave me down there to rot! I'm sorry they stopped me when I tried to roll this fucking chair out the window!"

"I'm sorry you ever got involved with the Dark Lord in the first place." Draco replied, still speaking quietly.

"It was the only fucking time I've ever mattered. The only time I've done anything important. And now my life is over because of it." Goyle raged.

"It's not over." Draco shook his head.

"I will never walk again." Goyle repeated slowly. "I have no feeling or movement from the waist down. I will die a virgin. I'm going to be tried and sent to Azkaban when the healers decide I'm ready. I'll have no way to defend myself there. I'll be killed the first week."

"You don't know that they will send you to Azkaban." Draco offered. "They may arrange something different for you."

"Yeah, because they feel sorry for the cripple?" Goyle spat. "Just go away, Draco. Go back to your little happily ever after. _Walk_ out of this room. Go back to Luna and your kids and your money."

"What happily ever after?" Draco cried. "I'm going to Azkaban! I've been charged with 383 crimes! I'm in the insane ward because I can't get a fucking dead woman out of my head, I just broke off my engagement to Luna, my father is going to disown me because I won't marry who he picks out for me, and I don't know what's going to happen to my son!"

"We're a hell of a pair, aren't we?" Greg said softly, tears in his own eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I turned on you for the Dark Lord. I thought I was doing great things for myself."

"I'm sorry too." Draco choked, trying not to cry. "I wish I had never trained you for the Dark Lord."

The two of them sat there in silence, trying not to cry openly, until Danko came back in.

"Look at me, both of you." he instructed. When both sets of eyes were upon him, he continued. "Repeat after me. Vol. De. Mort. Both of you need to get over your fear of the name."

The two young men nodded, repeating the Dark Lord's name.

"Good. Come on, Draco. Time to go back to your room."

Draco stood obediently, headed for the door.

"Can he come back sometime?" Goyle asked shyly.

Danko nodded. "Yeah. I think that would be good for both of you."

* * *

><p>Aunt Andromeda had been rather surprised, but had opened the door and welcomed Luna and Caelum. She plopped Caelum in the floor on a blanket with Teddy, while she made tea for herself and Luna. Luna had poured out the whole story, punctuated with tears and hugs and hand squeezes from the older woman.<p>

"Oh love. I could tell you the path of true love never runs smoothly or something trite like that." Andromeda soothed. "But you're never going to have an easy road with a Malfoy."

Luna looked up in surprise.

Andromeda nodded. "My family originally intended to betroth me to Lucius. I decided to ruin their plans by eloping with Ted." she shrugged. "He was in love with Cissy anyway. She's made a much better wife for him than I ever would have."

Luna nodded. "I think you're right."

"Now, as far as you and Draco ... " Andromeda began, but was interrupted by very insistent tapping on the window. She opened the glass to admit a regal jet black owl with a red envelope in its beak.

She retrieved the envelope, then threw it onto the table as it burned her fingers. Luna reached for an owl treat, but the bird left before she could give it to him.

The howler began to rattle and shake. Luna shrugged, reaching to release the ribbon.

"I'm sure we both know who it's from." she smiled at the older woman.

"LUNA!" Narcissa's voice shrieked. "You are being married in FOUR DAYS! How dare you take off without a word when we have so much to do! You must return here THIS INSTANT so we may continue the wedding preparations!"

The message shuddered one last time before exploding into a shower of sparks that turned to ash by the time they reached the surface of the table.

"She doesn't know there probably won't be a wedding." Luna said sadly.

"Come here, Silas." Andromeda called, and a small barn owl landed on the back of her chair. She accio'ed a parchment and quill from the nearby sideboard, and wrote a short message.

_Dear Cissy,_

_Shove it._


	87. Chapter 85

Narcissa arrived at the Tonks home less than an hour later.

"What do you mean, shove it?" she demanded as soon as the door began to open. "We have to get ready for the wedding!" She pushed past her sister into the house. "Luna! What on earth were you thinking?"

"Hello Cissy. It's nice to see you. Won't you come in?" Andromeda sarcastically called after her.

She caught up with her sister with a warning hand on her shoulder as Narcissa stepped into the kitchen.

"Luna?" Narcissa asked with concern, seeing the evidence of crying on the girl's face.

"Draco needs more time." Luna said, her voice flat and dull.

"No!" his mother shrieked. "He can't do that! You're getting married in four days!"

"He said he's not ready. He's still too wrapped up in Bella and everything that went on with her." Luna informed her. "He thinks that he will end up hurting me because he hasn't sorted out all his feelings about what went on with Bella yet."

"Is he mad?" Narcissa shook her head. "She's dead! She molested him! It's not like he loves her and wants to marry _her!"_

"He's trying to sort it all out." Luna said softly. "He's lived in madness for the past few years. He's got to figure out things without the madness."

"No!" Narcissa repeated. "He will stop this now! He and Luna are getting married. I'm going to that hospital and talk to him right now!"

"Cissy." Andromeda stood between her sister and the door. "Give him a little time. He loves Luna and he will sort this out. The fact that he's not jumping in to marrying her with all this going on in his head shows that he's concerned about making it all work. But he's his own worst enemy. You know that. He's like Lucius in that way."

Narcissa sighed, visibly deflating with it. "This is too important. There is so much more at stake. There is a thousand plus years of the Malfoy dynasty that will come to an end if he doesn't get married and produce a legitimate heir."

"The Tonks line is over. Ted and I only had a daughter, and now she's gone. The Tonks name died out with him." Andromeda said softly. "The rest of the world didn't end. Just mine."

Luna reached over and hugged her. Narcissa put her arms around both of them.

Caelum looked up, realizing that people were getting hugs other than him and yelled "Hey! Hey!" until Luna laughed and picked him up.

* * *

><p>Danko returned just after dinner with Ferguson in tow.<p>

Draco surged to his feet. "Did you find anything?"

The mind healer smiled but held out his hand to calm his patient. "There's a ritual for severing soul bonds created by blood magic ... "

"Can we do it tonight?" Draco shouted.

Ferguson laughed. "I told you he would want to do it tonight."

"Just hold on." Danko held both hands up. "This is very serious. Are you sure you want to do this? Are you sure you want to sever your soul ties with Bella? This is permanent, because Bella is not around any more to reinstate them if you change you mind."

"I'm sure." Draco nodded enthusiastically. "I want to do it. Now."

"I want to be sure you understand this. This will sever your soul bond to Bella. But you have to let go. You have to take control of your life. You have to let go of her. She will no longer be able to control how you think, act, or feel, as long as you don't let her continue to do so." Danko raised an eyebrow.

"But how can she control me if the bond is severed?" Draco frowned.

"She can't, unless you allow her to." Danko explained. "When you start sliding into old habits and mindsets, you have to tell yourself that this isn't real. Bella has no more control over you."

"This won't hurt Caelum or Luna, right?" Draco asked apprehensively.

"No." Danko assured. "This strictly relates to your relationship with Bella."

"Is there any benefit to keeping the soul bond?" Draco looked from one healer to the other.

"Not to a dead person, no. It's probably more harmful than good." Danko told him, and Ferguson nodded in agreement.

"What do I have to do?" Draco asked.

"It's really a simple process." Ferguson shrugged. "First you drink a potion. Then you rub yourself all over with a second potion, you sprinkle an item that belonged to the deceased with an herb mixture and burn it. While it's burning you renounce all ties to the person, and then you ritually bathe yourself to wash off all the remaining influence of this person."

"How long does it take to make the potions and what herbs do we need?" Draco's look returned to hopeful.

Danko laughed. "Your friend Jack here, who is still on leave until Monday, has taken the liberty of starting the potions. One is done and the other should be ready in another hour or two. And we've sent to the apothecary for the herbs."

"I really can do it tonight?" Draco asked.

"Yes, you can do it tonight. I'll come get you when everything is ready. We just need you to get something that belonged to Bella." Danko said.

"I'll owl my mother straight away." Draco promised.

"And I'm going to leave you more parchment." Danko told him. "I want you to think of every promise you've ever made her. If you told her that you loved her, that you belonged to her, that there would never be anyone but her, anything like that. So you can cancel all of it."

Draco grabbed the quill and a parchment and began writing immediately.

The healers looked at one another.

"We'll see you in a couple hours." Danko told him.

Draco nodded, still writing furiously.

* * *

><p>Narcissa arrived within half an hour.<p>

"I didn't know what you wanted." she began, pulling a tiny suitcase from her bag and unshrinking it. "So I brought all sorts of things."

"You didn't say anything to Luna, right?" he asked. "I don't want to get her hopes up if this doesn't work."

"It has to work." Narcissa muttered.

She opened the now full sized suitcase to reveal that it was full of Bella's clothes. She then pulled out a small wooden box, returning it to its full size as well.

"We have clothes, jewelry, and her keepsake box." she spread the items out on Draco's bed.

"Forget the jewelry." he shook his head. "I need something that will burn well."

Narcissa quickly divided the clothing into two piles. "In that case, choose something wool or cotton. The silk will just scorch and not burn. Or we could use something from out of here." She opened the wooden box to reveal old legal papers, letters, photos, and other mementos.

"I wonder what this ribbon is from?" Draco held up a scrap of red silk. "Bella just never seemed like the sentimental type."

"She changed so much over the years." Narcissa's eyes were suspiciously misty. "She wasn't ... so ... angry ... when she was younger. The further she got into the dark magic and the stronger her obsession with the Dark Lord became, the darker her soul became."

Draco nodded, skimming through the items in the box. "None of these things pertain to me. We're breaking my soul bond with her, so I think I need something that has a connection to me." He turned back to the clothes on the bed. "This dress." he held up the garment in question. "I ... the dress is relevant."

"Relevant?" his mother arched an eyebrow at him.

"There's a very specific memory attached to this dress, all right?" he threw it down and stomped to the other side of the room, fishing the tea tin out of his pocket. He sank to the floor in the corner and leaned his head against his knees.

He felt a hum of magic, and then a moment later, his mother knelt beside him. "I'm sorry." she whispered, wrapping her arms around him. "I wish I had known. I would have found some way to make it stop."

"It's all going to stop tonight." he said firmly.

* * *

><p>Draco was ready when the two healers returned. Draco was led out of his room and down the corridor.<p>

"No shackles?" he asked.

"Nah, because if you try to escape, we just won't tell you how to perform the ritual." Ferguson joked.

They took him to the fifth floor, past the tea shop, to a door marked "Staff Only" that Draco had never noticed before. Inside was a corridor with several doors. The entered a room almost at the end of the hall, which was somewhat like a cheap hotel room, with a narrow bed and a private bath.

"These are for times when healers can't make it home and need to rest before their next shift. We've arranged for you to use this room tonight. Jack's going to stay here with you, since he doesn't have to be back on duty at seven in the morning." Danko told Draco.

He wished them luck and left, locking the door behind him.

With the two of them alone, Draco looked at the other healer. "I should have asked before now. What happened with your wife?"

Ferguson shrugged sadly. "She's on house arrest pending trial. As for what's going to happen with the two of us, I don't know. I understand why she did it, but that doesn't mean I can overlook it." he shook his head. "I stay here more than I go home."

Draco nodded, not sure what else to say.

Ferguson directed him to a table to change the subject. "All right. First, drink this."

He handed Draco a small vial of yellow liquid. It tasted faintly of citrus and herbs.

"All right, the second thing. You go in the bathroom. Strip down, rub yourself down with this." He held up a larger green glass bottle. "The dump the dress into the cauldron in there, sprinkle it with these herbs," he held up an envelope. "and set it on fire. Can you do a wandless incendio?" Draco nodded. "While the dress burns, renounce your tie to Bella and all promises you ever made her. Then when that's done, there's already a tub full of salty water in there with a purifying tincture sprinkled in. Bathe yourself in the water, and you're done. There's a clean set of robes hanging on the back of the door. I'll be waiting out here in case you need me."

Draco nodded, thanking him, and went into the bathroom. He disrobed quickly, tossing his clothes into a corner. The substance in the green bottle was of a lotion consistency, and smelled .. not exactly minty, but Draco couldn't really decide what it did smell like. He wadded up the dress and shoved it into the cauldron, sprinkling the packet of herbs over it. Sage in there for sure, but he wasn't sure what else.

He sat down, facing the cauldron, pictured Bella in his mind, and started the fire.

"Bellatrix Helena Black Lestrange, I hereby sever my soul ties with you. I take back the love I once had for you. I will no longer be "Auntie Bella's boy." I revoke the times I said I belonged to you. I will no longer do whatever you ask."

Draco's skin started to tingle as he continued to list promises and statements. The fire burned stronger and brighter the further he went. He felt stronger and more energized, the words coming faster and faster, his soul feeling lighter and lighter. It was almost as if he could feel his spirit separating from hers. He began to wind down on the statements he had to revoke, and the fire began to wane as the dress was nearly consumed.

"I no longer wish us to be a family. Caelum will always be your biological child, but Luna will be his mummy and my wife. I want you out of our lives."

He made his last statements just before the fire finally burned itself out, leaving only white feather ash in the bottom of the cauldron. He sat and looked at the ashes for a long moment, wondering if the fire would restart.

He took a deep breath. He felt better, physically and mentally. He stood, walking over to the bath, and lowering himself in to the water.

He scrubbed off the lotion, but the slight tingle to his skin remained. He rinsed off and stepped out of the tub, feeling peaceful and as if he could take on the world all at once.  
>He put on the clean clothing the healers had left for him, and opened the door.<p>

"Well?" Ferguson asked, looking up from the book he was reading.

"It worked." Draco grinned.

Ferguson congratulated him, taking him back to his room. Draco wanted to send for Luna immediately, but Ferguson pointed out that it was nearly midnight, and Draco really needed some time to process and accept everything.

The patient reluctantly agreed, but not before sending an owl, asking Luna to come first thing in the morning.


	88. Chapter 86

Danko stopped in bright and early the next morning.

"It worked!" Draco crowed before the healer could speak. "She's gone. I don't feel tied to her any more. I didn't have any nightmares … "

"Just hang on." Danko held his hands up. "I want you to understand. "This doesn't mean you'll never have another nightmare or flashback. It doesn't mean you don't still have to work through your feelings and habits and mindsets that resulted from the abuse. It just means that you are not under Bella's control."

"I can do all that as long as I'm in control." Draco refused to be deflated.

"We still have a lot of work to do." The healer told him. "But ... First of all, we're not going to start now, because Luna is on her way up. Second, if everything goes smoothly the rest of today and tonight, I'm sending you back to the Ministry tomorrow."

"It will be fine." Draco agreed enthusiastically.

"Does that mean the wedding is back on?" Danko asked.

"As long as she will still have me." Draco grinned.

There was a tap on the door, and Danko opened it to let Luna in, telling Draco he would be back later on his way out.

Draco scooped Luna up in his arms and swung her around.

"I'm free from her." he said softly into Luna's ear.

"Really?" she asked, looking slightly confused.

"There was some kind of old blood magic, a soul bond that tied me to Bella. Danko and Ferguson found a ritual to break it, and I did it last night. It's over. I didn't have any nightmares last night. She's out of my life forever." Draco gushed.

"Tell me about it." she smiled.

So he sat her down, and explained everything he had done. How when it was all over, he felt free and alive.

"I'm ready now." he took both of her hands and raised them to his lips, kissing her knuckles. "I'm ready to get married. I know this is what I want. Will you still have me?"

"Of course." she leaned in and kissed him.

They talked for the rest of their allotted hour of Caelum and his new words and Narcissa and her rabid wedding plans. Then a thought crossed his mind that had been there the day before.

"Luna. That first day I was here. We ... made love ... you didn't ... you didn't take the potion or use a spell or anything, did you?" he stammered.

"No." she sighed. "But don't worry about it. It wasn't really the right time of the month. The chances are pretty slim ..."

He nodded. "But if it happens, I won't be angry, all right? It was my fault, I needed you so much right then, I didn't care about the consequences."

"I love you. Always." he promised with a kiss on her forehead.

On her way out, Luna spotted Danko at the counter, looking over a patient's chart.

"Could I talk to you for a moment?" she asked.

He nodded, leading her down the hall to a small, private conference room. The kind of place where the healer takes the family to give them bad news.

"What can I do for you?" he offered.

She pinned him with a look. "How did you break a soul tie created through blood magic without blood?"

He looked at her carefully for a moment, until he realized she wasn't angry.

He grinned. "I didn't. Draco did."

"There was no soul tie." It was a statement, rather than a question.

"In Draco's mind there was." Danko shrugged. "He was convinced there was some deeper reason he couldn't let go of her. We presented him with a harmless ritual, and he is the one who decreed it a success. We just gave him a push in the right direction."

"What happens when he finds out you lied to him?" she folded her arms.

"We didn't lie to him. He lied to himself. I never told him that he had a soul tie to Bella. _He_ came up with that idea. I told him that I knew of a ritual. He jumped on it with both feet. But that's not a bad thing. He was afraid to let go of Bella. He had a lot of guilt over her death. The ritual caused him to let go of all that. Now we can move forward with helping him process and deal with what happened. There was a limit to how much of that we could do until he let go." Danko explained.

Luna nodded. "Thank you."

* * *

><p>Draco was returned to the Ministry that afternoon. He was stable enough, and St Mungos really needed the room. Savage and Potter came for him. Potter even flushed and apologized for having to shackle the prisoner, explaining it was procedure and they didn't have a choice. Draco just nodded, held out his hands, and told them to get on with it.<p>

They brought him back to the same cell, which had been cleaned, and now had postcard sized pictures of Luna and Caelum and his mother attached to the wall next to the bed, where Draco could see them while he was laying down. He started to ask Potter if this was his idea of redecorating, but held his tongue. Draco wasn't sure which answer would bother him more.

* * *

><p>Luna brought Caelum that afternoon.<p>

"We're escaping from your mother." she explained, and Draco nodded, fully understanding.

Their escape was short lived, however.

Narcissa also showed up at the Ministry, with a photographer in tow.

"We want some pictures of the family together, and some of Draco alone in his cell, for the article." Narcissa directed.

They did their best to carry on and ignore Narcissa and the cameraman. The photographer simply snapped discreet shots, occasionally asking one of them to move just slightly. When Luna and Caelum got ready to leave, however, the photographer had them to repeat their goodbye kisses three times before he declared he had the perfect picture.

"I'll be so glad when all this is over and I can just worry about prison." Draco whispered in Luna's ear with a laugh.

The man took a picture of that too.

"Here." Draco handed his son to his mother. "Take him," he gestured at Caelum. "and _him,"_ he pointed at the photographer. "outside for a minute."

She nodded with a wry smile, motioning for the photographer to follow her.

Draco pulled Luna into his arms and leaned his forehead against hers. "You're sure you want to do this?" he whispered.

"Marry you?" she asked. "Absolutely."

"I'm getting off easy." he joked. "I'll be in jail. You're the one stuck with my son and my mother."

"I'm sure she will calm down after the wedding." Luna smiled.

They both raised their heads, realizing that Caelum was shrieking "Mummmmeeeeee! Duhduh!" at the top of his lungs.

"I'd better ge ... "

Draco interrupted Luna by kissing her.

"I love you." he whispered against her lips. "Go get him." he chuckled as their son's screaming reached glass shattering volume.

* * *

><p>They arrived home, and Narcissa was still in wedding planning mode.<p>

"You don't have a bridesmaid." she informed Luna.

"No, I don't." Luna agreed offhandedly.

"You have to have at least one." her future mother in law insisted. "When I got married, I had twelve. I realize this is a much smaller wedding, but you must have at least one."

"Twelve?" Luna asked with a raised eyebrow. "Were there twelve groomsmen as well?"

"Of course." Narcissa scoffed. "It had to be equal."

"And there were still people left to _watch_ the wedding?" Luna asked.

"Yes, we had seven hundred guests. But we are talking about your wedding, not mine!" Narcissa huffed. "Now, who is going to be your bridesmaid?"

"I don't see that I really have to have one." Luna shrugged.

"Yes you do!" Narcissa persisted. "I suppose we'll have Pansy." she turned toward the floo.

"No." Luna said firmly.

"She's Draco's best friend since they were small children." Narcissa shook her head. "Unless you have a better suggestion, I'm asking her."

"She's also Draco's ex-girlfriend!" Luna sputtered. "What about Ginny Weasley? She and I have known each other since we were children."

"She's a ... " Narcissa frowned, looking almost as if she had smelled something unpleasant.

Luna waited for the words "blood traitor."

Narcissa's expression changed and she looked almost thoughtful. "Not a bad choice. War heroine, daughter of a high ranking Ministry official, Potter's girlfriend ... Owl her straight away. I'll find those dress catalogues and we'll start looking for a dress for her."

She turned toward the hallway, but the floo roared to life before she left the room.

Pansy Parkinson stepped out.

"Oh, there you are dear." Narcissa called. "I was starting to wonder when you were coming. Luna, what about two bridesmaids?" She not so subtly looked from Luna to Pansy. "Make yourself at home, Pansy. Luna, ask Mimsy to get us a tea tray. I'll get those catalogues and be right back."

"What is she on about now?" Pansy asked as soon as Narcissa was gone.

"She thinks since you're Draco's oldest friend, you should be my bridesmaid." Luna explained. "I tried to tell her that it would be awkward, with you being his ex-girlfriend, but apparently she has no idea your relationship ever went past holding hands in the corridors."

Pansy shook her head and rolled her eyes. "We'll tell her that I'm so busy with my own wedding next week that I can't commit to being your bridesmaid. Because I certainly don't want to explain to a woman I've known practically since birth that I deflowered her son."

Luna grinned and held out her hand, which Pansy shook.


	89. Chapter 87

Draco asked for permission to owl Greg Goyle, and was given a parchment and quill.

_Greg,_

_Luna and I are getting married Friday, in the Minister's Office. I was told I could invite anyone I would like. Would you like to come? We've been friends for a long time, and it would get you out of the hospital, at least for a while. _

_Draco_

He folded the letter, not bothering to seal it as the aurors were going to read it anyway, and handed it to Williamson.

* * *

><p>Ginny had flooed in response instead of owling, and been invited to come straight away. She stood in the parlor uncertainly, biting her lip, until Luna took her hand, leading her from the room, calling over her shoulder to Narcissa to carry on and they would be back.<p>

She took Ginny to her and Draco's bedroom. They sat on the bed, as they used to sit on Luna's bed when they were children, but instead of giggles and whispers, there was only awkward silence.

"If you don't want to be my bridesmaid, you don't have to, Ginny." Luna finally said softly. "I know your family isn't fully supportive of my relationship with Draco."

"It's not Draco," Ginny finally answered, looking around the room. "It's just … we've been through a war, and everything is so different, and …"

"And with everything else that's gone on, everyone has forgotten that you were among the first casualties in this war." Ginny looked at her sharply. "You were the one taken to the Chamber of Secrets."

Ginny's hands shook almost as much as her voice. "I dreamed for years of confronting Tom. Of what I would say and do. But I never had the chance."

"Maybe you should talk to Draco's mind healer." Luna suggested. "He's really helped Draco a lot."

Ginny shrugged non-committaly.

"Or maybe you can each dirigible plums and drink lemonade and bathe in lavender water to rid yourself of all those wrackspurts." Luna suggested.

Ginny looked up at her, and the two of them smiled.

"What's Malfoy like in private?" Ginny asked.

Luna reached over and handed Ginny a picture of Draco helping Caelum ride his horse while she watched, clapping.

"With us, Caelum and me, he's a wonderful person. Mostly. He still has his dark moments. I think everyone does, even now with the war over. He adores his mother. He and his father are all hissing and snarling and flicking tails, like two male chimaeras battling for territory. Which has a lot to do with how his father has treated him over the years. As for with anyone else," she shrugged. "I haven't seen him a lot alone with anyone else."

"Does this really make you happy, Luna?" Ginny asked, gesturing broadly. "Malfoy. The baby. The big house. His mother."

Luna smiled, placing the photograph back on the nightstand. "I love Draco. He makes me happy. Not the part about him being in jail, but when I'm with him. I'll marry him for whatever time I can have with him, even if it's at Azkaban, an hour at a time. I love Caelum. When he smiles and holds up his arms for me to pick him up, and calls me Mummy, it makes my day better no matter what else has happened." She looked around the room. "The house isn't my choice. But it's Draco and Caelum's home. They would be more comfortable here than Rook House, so it's not that big of a deal to me. And the gardens are absolutely remarkable. And of course, Rook House is unlivable at the moment, so I have to have some place to stay. Narcissa can be a bit overbearing at times, but she means well. It's like any other family. Sometimes your relatives aren't people you would choose to be around if you weren't related to them, but since you are, you just love them and their flaws."

"I'm happy for you, Luna." Ginny told her softly.

"That's nice of you, Ginny." Luna tilted her head. "I'm glad you get to finish school and that Harry will be there for you later."

"Do you think so?" Ginny asked wistfully.

"Yes." Luna nodded. "He probably has more sorting out to do after this war than nearly anyone. But he whatever path he takes, it always circles around to you. There was probably a prophecy about it somewhere. Too bad we destroyed most of them."

Ginny giggled and hugged her. "All right, let's go pick out my dress."

* * *

><p>The battle over the dress was epic, to say the least.<p>

Choosing the style of the dress was easy. They had it chosen within ten minutes. The argument about the color went on for over an hour.

Luna wanted sunshine yellow.

Narcissa was insisting on Slytherin green.

Pansy suggested a deep midnight blue.

Ginny said as long as it wasn't red or burgundy to clash with her hair.

Pansy took it upon herself to transfigure Ginny's blouse into something similar to the top of the dress, and then in each color in turn.

They quickly agreed that the yellow wasn't right. It made Ginny look too pale and washed out. The green looked good. The blue far and away looked the best.

But Narcissa continued to argue that it was tradition for Malfoy weddings to have green bridesmaid dresses. Luna mentioned that Draco actually liked blue better, and he was marrying a Ravenclaw.  
>Narcissa refused to be dissuaded. Ginny pointed out that it was not actually Narcissa's wedding, which almost sent the older women into some sort of seizure.<p>

Finally Pansy whispered in Luna's ear. "Agree to the green. Then right before the ceremony, transfigure the damn thing blue."

Luna conceded to green, which finally ended the "discussion."

* * *

><p>The "discussion" on the dress paled in comparison to the "discussion" of Draco's best man.<p>

Blaise Zabini, per Narcissa, would have been the obvious choice, famously neutral in the whole Voldemort situation, from a highly respectable old wizarding family even if his mother was, well, everyone knew what his mother was, except that he had left the country the night of the final battle.

Greg Goyle of course had been one of Draco's best friends all of his life, but there was the matter of him being a Death Eater and she wanted to keep Draco's name away from being associated with Death Eaters.

Same problem with Uncle Rab. While he and Draco were very close, and he had actually defected with Draco the night of the final battle, he was still a convicted former Death Eater, who had previously escaped from Azkaban.

Theo Nott was suggested. He and Draco had never been close friends, but they had always gotten on well enough. He was the son of a Death Eater but had never become one himself. And of course, he was engaged to Draco's childhood friend. Pansy argued against using him for exactly that reason.

Luna suggested the radical idea of letting Draco pick his own groomsman, which only earned her withering looks from the two Slytherin women. Ginny excused herself to head home before the battle became too heated.

The problem was, Draco just wasn't close to that many people.

Narcissa finally threw out the suggestion Luna had been waiting all evening for.

Harry Potter.

Well, he was going to be there anyway, being Draco's guardian for his furlough and all. He's the Saviour of the Wizarding World, and anyone would look better by association with him.

Of course, it also looked like a very obvious political ploy.

Narcissa asked Luna and Pansy for suggestions of other young men they had gone to school with. Neither of them could think of anyone still alive that Draco had actually exchanged pleasant words with.

Finally, Luna stood, informed them all she was going to give Caelum his bath and put him to bed, and they could finish this discussion later.

"But then there will only be two days until the wedding!" Narcissa cried in horror.

"I have great faith in your ability to pull this all together." Luna smiled at her blandly.

* * *

><p>The next morning, Luna sent an owl to Harry. An hour later, he replied, telling her that he had everything in place. She went downstairs and borrowed Narcissa's camera, telling the harried woman that she was going to see Draco and she would be back shortly.<p>

"Be sure to ask him if he has any other ideas about the best man." Narcissa instructed, poring over the shopping list she was preparing for the elves.

She didn't even notice that Luna flooed to Azkaban instead of the Ministry.

Harry and Draco waited for her in a holding room behind the first set of locked doors. Harry smiled, but Draco looked a little confused, causing Luna to realize Harry hadn't explained everything.

"We're here to see Rab." she told him.

Draco sighed in relief. "Potter said he was bringing me here to see someone. I thought it was going to be my father."

"Oh, sorry for that." Harry answered, not looking sorry at all.

He led them up to a visitor's room on the Beta wing of the second floor. Or maybe it was an interrogation room. It probably could have gone either way.

Rab smiled sadly when they came in.

"I'll be just outside." Harry informed them as he left and locked the door behind himself.

Rab shoved his chair back with a scraped against the stone floor, and bounded across the room to hug Draco and Luna.

"I'm so glad you're both all right." he said with uncharacteristic emotion.

Draco didn't quite meet anyone's eyes, probably hiding his own emotional reaction.

They all sat around the table.

"So how are you doing?" Luna asked.

"Better." Rab nodded, as if trying to convince himself. "It's a lot better than when I was here before. No Dementors. Better food. They let you bathe on a regular basis. Even let you read, even if the book selection is rather dull." He paused, looking up with a hopeful expression on his face. "Septima Vector owled me a few times. They even let her come visit once." He smiled, but his eyes were far away.

"Good for you." Draco halfheartedly smiled back.

"What about you?" Rab suddenly straightened in his chair. "So I hear the two of you are getting married Friday and the Ministry is going to let me be there." he winked at Draco. "It's about time, you know."

"She's not really pregnant." Draco confessed, then a blush spread across his cheeks. "At least, not that we know of. I told the Dark Lord ... I told Voldemort that so he would back off. He had this idea that if Luna and I had a child, with our natural abilities, he could train it into some kind of super soldier."

Rab nodded. "Well, I suppose it's for the best."

"Narcissa is trying to pick out who Draco's best man should be for the wedding." Luna informed them.

They both looked at her.

"I thought Rab would probably be your choice, but your mother is afraid if you are seen associating with known Death Eaters, it will not reflect favorably when your trial comes along. So I want the two of you to visit and talk, and I'm going to show her that you are family more than you are Death Eaters."

They looked at each other, then back at her, both wondering silently what she was up to.

"Just carry on. Talk and pretend I'm not here." Luna told them.

They did so, and she snapped several pictures of them. At the end of the hour, both Draco and Rab hugged her and thanked her for working it out so they could visit. Harry escorted Draco back to the Ministry.

Luna went to the new headquarters of The Quibbler, using her father's equipment for a while to print the pictures and arrange a page layout. He proofed the page for her, and nodded his approval with a smile.

"You're a natural at this, dear."

"I learned from the best, Daddy." she smiled at him. "Get your rest." she kissed him on the cheek before leaving. "It's going to be a long night getting everything finished after the wedding."

"I've already got most of it laid out, just waiting for pictures." he answered. "But I will."

* * *

><p>Luna presented Narcissa with a sample magazine page when she returned home.<p>

The pictures of Draco and Rab sitting at the table so alike and so different were poignant. Their posture was almost the same. Both sitting with their elbows on the table, leaning toward one another. Both in prison uniforms. One with such sleek pale hair and eyes, the other with unruly jet black hair and matching eyes. The same sadness in both sets of eyes.

The accompanying text told of a young man raised in a blood supremacist home, expected from a very young age to follow his father into the Dark Arts. How the young man had done so, because no other alternatives had been presented to him.

How that same young man had become a mentor and older brother figure to his nephew. How the uncle had trained the nephew. How the nephew had risked his life to evacuate his fallen uncle in a raid gone bad. How the nephew had led his uncle to turn from Voldemort and fight with the Order at the final battle. How the uncle had saved the life of a Hogwarts teacher by realizing that one of the corpses was still breathing and getting her the necessary medical attention.

How much the uncle and the nephew both regretted their service to the Dark Lord.

Narcissa looked up at her future daughter in law with tears in her eyes. "Rab will be his best man."


	90. Chapter 88

_Dear Draco,_

_Thank you for the invitation to your wedding. I'm glad you have forgiven me enough to think of inviting me._

_I won't be coming. I'm happy for you, but I don't think I can deal with it right now. I mean, coming and seeing you get married, knowing I will never get married, never have kids, never have a life. I don't want to bring everyone down._

_I do wish you the best, and hope that you and Luna have a long and happy life together and that you aren't in Azkaban for most of it._

_Greg_

* * *

><p>Luna and Caelum came early the next morning, warning Draco it would probably be his last chance to see them before the wedding the following day.<p>

Narcissa had planned a full day of dress fittings, finalizing plans for dinner at the Manor, a photo session with Caelum in the nursery, and more beauty treatments for Luna than the young woman had even known existed.

Draco laughed and told her it was a shame that the Ministry wouldn't let them elope, even if they brought Potter along. Luna told him that Narcissa was arguing with Robards about beauty treatments for Draco too.

Caelum shimmied under the covers on Draco's bed, playing peekaboo and giggling.

At the end of their hour, Draco reluctantly kissed his family goodbye, knowing his mother would be waiting impatiently when they got home.

The rest of the day passed in a blur for Luna. She was fitted for the dress, her hair treated with potions to make it shine, slathered with potions to soften and smooth her skin, as well as one to optimize her skin tone, manicured, pedicured, and tried on a dozen different jewelry and shoe combinations with the dress. A little before lunch a photographer came to take pictures of her and Caelum in their daily routine without Draco. The child played and ate his lunch while the photographer snapped photos, but when it came to time to put him down for his nap, Luna had to dismiss the man so her little attention hound would go to sleep. The photographer did slip back in to get one shot of the baby asleep, and then told her he was headed to the Ministry to take some photos of Draco.

Narcissa insisted on an early dinner that night, and that Luna go to bed as soon as she had Caelum down so she would be well rested the following day.

* * *

><p>The morning of their wedding dawned to cloudy skies and rain.<p>

Narcissa was ecstatic. Rain on your wedding day was good luck.

They made sure Caelum played hard so that he took his nap early. While he slept, Luna was dressed, primped, and styled. When he awoke, Caelum was bribed into being still while he was dressed and combed with the promise he could go see Daddy if he was a handsome boy.

Finally, Rinka apparated Luna, Caelum, and Narcissa to the Ministry just before 4 o'clock so they wouldn't mess up their clothes or hair traveling by floo.

Harry led Draco out of his holding cell and into the lift. It opened again into the waiting area outside the Minister's office. Draco's mother and Luna's father sat in one corner, deep in conversation. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Bill and Fleur were on one side of the room, talking among themselves, while Pansy Parkinson and Theo Nott sat on the other, holding hands and not speaking.

Luna stood on the far side of the room, holding Caelum on her hip, talking to Ginny. Malfoy drew up short. Harry sneaked a glance at the taller man's face, and was shocked by the raw emotion, the longing, that he saw etched on Draco's features. He realized he had never seen Draco Malfoy, or any of the Malfoys, drop their mask publicly in that way before.

Caelum noticed them first. "Duhduh!" he shrieked, pointing.

Harry swiftly released Draco's shackles as Luna turned.

"Hi Caelum." Malfoy's voice was husky with emotion as he spoke.

Two blond blurs moved toward one another, and suddenly the little family connected, clinging to one another as if the world would end if any of them let go.

Harry watched them, and finally understood what brought the coward Malfoy to stand against Voldemort. Under Draco Malfoy's carefully honed public facade, there was a human being who loved just like Harry did.

Robards came in behind Harry with Rab Lestrange. Narcissa excused herself to come fuss over him like an older sister, straightening his robes and flicking a spell at his hair.

Kingsley Shacklebolt opened the door of his office and asked if everyone was ready. As the group generally agreed they were, he then opened the door to the attached conference room and gestured for everyone to enter. Caelum refused to let go of his father. Draco told everyone it was fine, he would just hold the baby.

The huge table had been removed, replaced by chairs in sets of two facing one end of the room, with a makeshift aisle between. The Malfoy house elves had been there earlier in the day, spreading a white carpet down the aisle, and filling the room with flowers and candles. The Minister moved to stand at the far end of the room, under an arch covered with foliage, tiny white flowers, and twinkling lights. Draco, Caelum, and Rab followed him, standing at the places indicated. Robards warned the two of them that the room was under an anti-apparation jinx, and the only way out would be through the door where they had entered, which would be where he and Harry would be standing. The guests came in and were seated.

Narcissa asked Pansy to make sure Luna and Ginny were ready while she had a moment with her son. As soon as the groom's mother was through the doorway, Pansy pulled her wand from her purse and transfigured Ginny's dress blue. Luna took off the priceless Malfoy heirloom diamond and emerald earrings Narcissa had insisted she wear and replaced them with her old radish earrings. The three girls looked at one another with one last giggle before Pansy slipped the diamond earrings into her purse and made her way in to sit with Theo.

Xeno Lovegood simply shook his head.

* * *

><p>With everyone in place, Shacklebolt politely waited a moment for the photographer to snap a few pictures before nodding at his assistant at the back of the room to begin the music.<p>

The door opened, and the Weaselette - um, Weasley girl, made her way down the aisle. Draco glanced over and his mother and saw her frowning slightly. He then sneaked a look at Potter, who was all but drooling. Draco did have to admit, this was the best he had ever seen the girl look. She was kind of pretty, if you were into gingers, and obviously Potter was. The bridesmaid reached the end of the aisle, made a graceful turn, and stood to the other side of the arch.

Rinka had been watching through a crack in the door. As soon as Ginny was in place and the music changed, the door was thrown open wide, and Luna came through with her father.

Draco had been too preoccupied with just seeing her and Caelum earlier to pay attention to her dress and so forth.

She was absolutely breathtaking.

Her hair had been piled up on top of her head, with just a few curls trailing down, and goblin made tiara on top like a crown. Her dress was fitted to the waist, with a full skirt that looked almost like the fabric had been pinched together in places.

She smiled, looking directly at him and Caelum as she made her way down the aisle.

She finally reached them, and her father placed her hand in Draco's stepping back to sit with Narcissa.

"Mummy peh ... " Caelum began, then trailed off, frowning.

"Yes, she's very pretty, isn't she?" Draco asked.

Caelum nodded enthusiastically.

Shacklebolt smiled and cleared his throat.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join this man and this woman in the bonds of matrimony ... "

Draco looked at Luna, who winked at him. He noticed her earrings and smiled. He kept an eye toward his mother, waiting for her to notice the earrings. She looked around the room, and he realized that Shacklebolt must have asked if anyone could show just cause or whatever that rubbish was.

No one stood, so Draco turned back to Luna with a smile.

Shacklebolt asked Draco to repeat after him, and read off the vows. Draco raised her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles, bringing tears to her eyes, before promising to love, honor, and cherish her as long as they both shall live. She repeated the vows back to him, and as she finished, he glanced around. His mother and Mrs. Weasley were both dabbing at their eyes. The Veela Weasley was making eyes at her husband, who couldn't take his eyes off her. Pansy rolled her eyes at Draco and mouthed "Tosser."

Shacklebolt asked for the rings.

Ginny passed Draco's ring smoothly to Luna. Draco tried to hand Caelum to Rab and take Luna's ring, but the child tightened his arms around his father's neck and shrieked. "No! My duhduh!"

Draco shook his head at Rab and his mother, both reaching to take the baby from him. He shushed Caelum and took the ring from Rab with one hand, while holding his son with the other.

"Hold Mummy's hand." Draco whispered.

Luna extended her arm, and Caelum grasped her hand with both of his while Draco slid the ring onto her finger.

"Very good." Draco whispered, and Caelum clapped his hands.

"Ok, help me now." Luna smiled at Caelum. He obediently held Draco's hand while Luna placed the other ring.

"Draco and Luna," the Minister's deep voice boomed. "By the swearing of vows, and the exchanging of rings, you have pledged your lives to one another. By the power vested in me by the Ministry of Magic, I now pronounce you husband and wife." He smiled at Draco. "You may kiss the bride."

Draco leaned in, shifting Caelum to one side, and pressed his lips to hers. She wrapped her arms around her husband and child, opening her mouth the deepen the kiss.

Caelum patted Draco on the cheek and shouted "Hey! Cae!"

The parents pulled apart with a laugh, both kissing Caelum on the cheek, which made him giggle and clap his hands. Narcissa and Xeno stepped forward to embrace the couple, and the photographer began rattling off a list of photo poses they "had" to take.

"Happy Birthday." Luna whispered.


	91. Chapter 89

A/N - the picture I uploaded for the story was what I imagined as Luna's dress. I couldn't figure out how else to link it.

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><p>Narcissa noticed the radish earrings as soon as the photographer started arranging the wedding party for pictures.<p>

"Take those ridiculous things out of your ears right this minute!" She fumed. "I cannot believe you would first of all transfigure the dress blue and then wear radishes instead of the perfectly gorgeous earrings I loaned you!"

"The other earrings wouldn't have matched. They were green." Ginny offered helpfully.

"Like radishes match better!" Narcissa actually raised her voice.

"My mum made these." Luna said softly.

Draco put his arms around her waist and glared at his mother.

"I'm sorry." Her mother in law clapped her hand to her mouth. "I never thought to ask if there was anything of your mother's you wanted to use."

"I have your emerald earrings in my purse." Pansy told her. "You'd better come get them before we forget."

Narcissa walked away with Pansy. Luna turned to Draco.

"It's a good thing your mother didn't think to check my feet." She raised the hem of her wedding dress just enough to show the high tops Draco had given her for her birthday underneath.

He laughed and kissed the top of her head. "I do love you, you loon."

The photographer took over, directing everyone in and out of the pictures. They spent nearly an hour getting all of the pictures. By that time, Caelum was rather cranky, and some of the adults weren't much better. Narcissa reminded everyone that they were invited back to the Manor for dinner. Rab hooked his arm through Draco's and headed toward the door.

"Except you." Robards informed him with a laugh.

Rab's shoulders slumped and he dropped Draco's arm. Robards and Draco both looked at Shacklebolt.

The Minister sighed. "We didn't ask for permission for Rab to attend the dinner, because it probably wouldn't have been granted." He turned to Narcissa. "But have one of your elves bring a plate for him over to Azkaban. And some cake, right?"

Narcissa smiled. "Of course."

Rab smiled sadly. He gave Draco and Luna a hug, wished them well, and said he hoped he would see them soon. Robards escorted him out of the room.

The Weasley son and his Veela wife shook their hands and wished them well also, thanking them for the invitation to dinner, but they needed to get home.

Everyone else followed them home to dinner, which was a combination wedding reception and birthday party. Narcissa called Dimpy as soon as the food was served, and instructed him to take plenty of food to Rab.

"Dimpy take plate for Master Lucius to Azkaban?" the elf asked.

"No." Narcissa frowned. "He refused to come, so he doesn't get any of this food."

Caelum perked up momentarily while food was being served, and he jabbered and pointed when Mimsy brought in Draco's birthday cake with lit candles. He was drooping and drowsy by the time everyone finished eating.

"Let me take him upstairs and put him to bed." Draco told the group apologetically. "I'll be right back."

"We need to be heading off anyway." Pansy none too gently dragged Theo to his feet, fork still in hand and cake in his mouth. "You only have 24 hours. I'm sure you'd like to spend some time with your family."

"She's right you know." Mr. Weasley agreed, with looks at his wife and daughter.

Everyone told Draco and Luna goodbye, and the parents took Caelum upstairs while the guests bid their farewells to their hostess and one another.

Potter looked at Ginny again, then nodded at Malfoy. "Just stay out of trouble." He pulled Ginny off to one side, not making any attempt to follow Draco up the stairs.

The parents carried their sleepy boy upstairs. They agreed he was too sleepy for a bath, so Luna just cleaned him up with a quick spell while Draco put pajamas on him. Caelum's eyes almost closed, but he jerked and popped his head up.

"Duhduh." he smiled and laid his head on Draco's shoulder.

Draco settled into the rocking chair with him and the dragon. Caelum threw the dragon down, singing and kicking his feet.

"I'll get him a little warm milk." Luna nodded. "He's trying to keep himself awake."

Draco kissed his son's forehead. "It's all right to go to sleep. Daddy will be here when you wake up. I promise."

It took a few minutes of coaxing, but Caelum finally drank his milk, snuggled his dragon, and went to sleep. Draco held him a few minutes longer, finally placing him in the crib with one more kiss and a whispered "I miss you too."

Luna took her husband's hand and led him back downstairs, where everyone had left except Narcissa, Xeno, and Harry.

Luna's father crossed the room to give her a hug. "I've got to be going too, sweetheart. I've got a lot of work to do to get the magazine out by morning."

She smiled and nodded, kissing his cheek. "Thank you Daddy."

He stepped back, taking one long last look at her. "You were so beautiful today. I wish your mother could have been here." He smiled sadly, making his way toward the floo.

"I'll be along later to check on things." Narcissa waved to him.

"Bring the tea." he grinned, tossing the floo powder.

Narcissa turned to her son and daughter in law. "You two can go on upstairs. It's your wedding night, after all."

Harry looked at Draco. "I don't think I need to tell you that the house has been anti-apparationed for the night. I'll be disconnecting the floo before I go to bed, and the wards will alert me if you leave the house." His eyes softened a bit as he looked at Luna's hand in Draco's. "But your family is here. I don't think you'll be going anywhere." He held out his hand, which Draco shook cautiously. "Congratulations." Harry stepped forward and gave Luna an awkward one armed hug. "I'll be down the hall. Shout if you need me."

"Potter, if you hear shouting coming from our room, don't come investigate." Draco smirked, turning his wife toward the stairs. He suddenly remembered something and paused. "Wait. The potion."

"I've got it." Narcissa handed Luna a small bottle, which the younger woman drank dutifully.

"Now." Draco turned to his wife, sweeping her into his arms as she laughed. He carried her upstairs to their room, slamming the door behind them. He gently set her on her feet and kissed her.

"It's a little weird knowing that Potter and my mother are downstairs, knowing what we're doing up here." He said, silencing the door.

She nodded. "At least my dad did leave." She leaned up and kissed him again. She pulled away and started to turn. "I'll get Rinka to help me with this."

"No." he reached for her arm, stopping her. "I've been watching you in this dress for four and a half hours, waiting to do this."

He stepped up behind her and placed a kiss on her shoulder as his fingers undid the first button. As he unfastened the next one, he kissed her shoulder again, just slightly closer to her neck. He continued to kiss his way up her neck as he unbuttoned the dozens of tiny buttons down her back. He reached her hairline and began to kiss down the other side, toward her other shoulder. By the time he reached her waist, Luna's breathing was ragged and her skin felt on fire. He moved to the nape of her neck and began to kiss his way down her back, one vertebra at a time. He was on his knees when he reached her hips, and getting slid the dress down so she could step out of it. He tossed it to one side in the vague direction of the chair. She turned to face him, feeling a little self conscious, as he was still fully dressed, other than his outer robes, which he had discarded before dinner.

He smirked and shook his head because she was standing in front of him wearing nothing but lacy blue knickers, thigh high stockings, and purple high tops.

She reached her hand down to guide him to his feet. "You have on too many clothes." she whispered just before his lips closed over hers. She grazed his mouth with a kiss before drawing back to unfasten his tie. She loosened the knot, but left it hanging around his neck as she leaned forward to kiss him again, sliding his jacket off his shoulders. She stepped back and began to unbutton his shirt, tugging it loose from his waistband and pushing it off his chest when she finished.

He turned her around before she could do anything else, and began removing the pins that held her hair, one by one, until her blond curls fell loose around her shoulders. Then he took her hand and led her over to the bed. She sat down while he unbuckled his belt, kicking off his shoes and shucking off his trousers and boxers in one motion.

He was ready for her.

He then knelt by the side of the bed and removed her shoes, kissing his way up the inside of her leg. He reached the top of her thigh, placing a kiss on the outside of her panties that had her whimpering and arching off the bed. He pushed her back on the bed, crawling over her, shifting them both until Luna's head made contact with the pillow.

"I love you." she whispered.

"I love you, wife." he grinned at her.

He kissed her again, her hands entangling in his hair. He trailed kisses across her neck to her ear, and then down her neck to her collarbone. Luna moaned and arched against him, her hands moving across his back and down to cover his hips, pulling his groin against hers.

He chuckled deep in his throat. "We've got all night."

His lips found her breast, causing her to gasp. Her hand came around to close around his erection, making him groan and grab her wrist.

"Don't." he hissed. "I'm too close now."

She nodded, as his mouth moved over to her other breast, tongue flicking a nipple that was already hardened. A moment later, his hand was in her knickers, and he smothered her cry as his mouth was on hers again. He levered himself up, sliding down her body until he was between her legs. He slid of her panties with effortless grace, tossing them somewhere over his shoulder, his eyes locking with hers for a moment as he winked at her. He lowered his head with excruciatingly slowly, as Luna shifted restlessly on the bed. He finally reached his destination, and the first flick of his tongue against her clit sent her over the edge. His finger slid inside her as she bucked against his hand, riding out the sensations.

She opened her eyes to see him smiling at her, starting to lower his head toward her again.

"No." she tugged on his arm. "Now."

He obediently moved over her, kissing her neck as he pulled her knees back and moved into position.

"I still have my stockings on." she frowned.

"I know." he said as he slid into her and stilled.

She moved against him, but he gently pressed her shoulders into the bed. "Give me a second." he whispered. "I don't want this to be over too soon."

She nodded, waiting until he caught his breath and began setting the pace. He took it slowly at first, teasing with varying the length of his strokes and even moving his hips in circles a few times. Until Luna leaned up and licked his ear, causing him to speed up slightly. Boldly, she closed her mouth over his nipple and gently sucked, and his rhythm increased. His hand moved between them to touch her, and within moments, both of them were moaning and shuddering as they reached their peaks.

He rolled onto his side, pulling her against him, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"This may be the only night we have together as husband and wife." he said softly.

"Please don't." she pressed a finger to his lips. "Don't make me cry now."

"No." he shook his head gently. "I was just going to say, if there's anything specific you want to do, something we've done before or something you want to try, don't be afraid to tell me because this may be our only chance."

"What about you?" she asked. "Is there anything we haven't done before that you want to try?"

He sighed. "I had the chance to do a lot of experimenting. It was actually worked into my training, that as a reward for doing something well, I was rewarded."

She nodded, but didn't speak.

"But you're going to be putting that green dress on later." he smirked.


	92. Chapter 90

A/N - sorry, I know this is ridiculously long, but I didn't want to break up The Quibbler article, and putting that in a chapter by itself left the rest rather short.

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><p>As requested, Luna did put on the green dress later that night while Draco tiptoed into the nursery, shrunk the desk, and brought it back to their room.<p>

"This is what I wanted to do the night of the initiation." Draco whispered, gently lifting her to sit on the edge of the desk. His left hand cupped the back of her head, tilting her lips up for his kiss, while his right hand made its way under her skirt.

He froze when his hand made contact with her undergarments. He lifted up her skirt to confirm what he thought he had just felt.

"Black lace thong?" he smirked.

"This is what I had on the night I wore this dress the first time. Your mother brought everything in a parcel, and Rinka helped me put it on." She shrugged.

"If I had known that, I would have ravished you on the desk." He groaned into her hair before she reached up and pulled his lips back to hers.

They made love, dozed, and woke to make love again all night. Caelum was awake at his usual unholy hour, chirping "Duhduh? Mummy? Duhduh?"

Draco went and retrieved his child, who grinned so widely at the sight of his daddy it was a wonder his face didn't crack. Father and son returned to snuggle in bed with Luna for a bit before Caelum's stomach won out and he began calling for his "eff."

Narcissa came and ate breakfast in the nursery, realizing that Draco was reluctant to leave his wife and son for any length of time. Potter poked his head in, just to make sure Draco was still there. Satisified that his prisoner had not escaped, he bid them good morning and went along.

As they finished eating, Luna could finally stand it no longer.

"Did The Quibbler come?" she asked her mother in law, eyes shining.

Narcissa smirked, pulling two shrunken copies from her skirt pocket and returning them to normal size. "The whole thing is even better than I had hoped." She lifted Caelum out of his high chair and set him on his horse while his parents flipped through their copies of the magazine.

The front cover was a picture of Draco in his cell at the Ministry, sitting on his bed, knees against his chest, staring into space and looking younger than his eighteen years. The caption read

**"Draco Malfoy – Minion or Martyr?"**

_If Harry Potter is the Boy Who Lived, perhaps Draco Malfoy can be described as the Boy Who Survived. He was born eighteen years ago yesterday into fortune and privilege as the sole heir of both the Malfoys and the Blacks, two of the oldest and wealthiest wizarding families. Unfortunately, they are also two families deeply rooted in pureblood supremacy. Draco's father Lucius Malfoy was a trusted follower of Voldemort before Draco's birth, as were his mother's sister Bellatrix Black Lestrange and her husband Roldophus. Although Voldemort went missing and presumed dead a few months after Draco's first birthday, the boy was raised to despise muggleborns and half bloods. Purebloods who did not believe in pureblood supremacy were regarded as "blood traitors," and even more lowly thought of than muggleborns._

_Draco unfortunately had little chance to learn otherwise before he began school at Hogwarts. His mother Narcissa Malfoy tells us that Draco had never spent a night away from his parents before going off to school. He had only three companions as a child, all of whom belonged to other blood supremacist families. All of his elementary teaching was done by his parents or private tutors._

_Mrs. Malfoy says now that she feels Draco's upbringing was actually to his disadvantage._

_"We gave him whatever he wanted that money could buy." she says. "But in trying to protect him and spoil him, there were some very important lessons he never learned. He had lessons in deportment and how to act in specific social situations, but never learned how to make friends. He also trusted his family implicitly, having never had any reason to question his father's judgements."_

_"Everyone thought him to be arrogant, superior, and condescending." his friend Pansy Parkinson describes Draco. "The truth was, he just didn't know how to relate to other children his age. He was almost exclusively surrounded by adults." And what of Rita Skeeter's assertion that Pansy and Draco were childhood sweethearts until he threw her aside to chase the entire female student population of Hogwarts? "I don't where in the world she came up with that." Miss Parkinson shakes her head. "He and I were just best friends. He's actually the one who set me up with my fiance Theo. Draco really never dated anyone at school."_

_During Draco's time at Hogwarts, the Death Eaters began to reassemble. Draco showed little interest in their early activities or pureblood prejudices, even trying to protect his muggleborn classmate Hermione Granger during the Riot at the 1994 Quidditch World Cup._

_However, during Draco's fourth year at Hogwarts, everything changed._

_Voldemort returned._

_And he wanted Draco._

_Young Draco showed tremendous potential as a very powerful wizard. It was said that had he been old enough, there was no question that he would have been chosen to represent Hogwarts in the Tri-Wizard Tournament, rather than poor Cedric Diggory. He was performing complex magic such as Protean Charms by his fifth year. He was also very athletic, the starting Seeker for the Slytherin Quidditch team before Voldemort ordered him to abandon the sport.  
><em>

_Draco's parents initially tried to protect their son from Voldemort by insisting he was too young, just a boy, barely halfway through school. However, after Lucius Malfoy failed to secure the prophecy concerning Voldemort and Harry Potter during the attack on the Ministry of Magic in June of 1996, The Dark Lord gave the Malfoy family an ultimatum._

_Draco would perform a task. If he refused, he and his family would be killed. If he failed, he and his family would be killed. If he succeeded, he would become the youngest member of the Death Eater High Council._

_The task? Kill Albus Dumbledore, arguably one of the most powerful wizards who ever lived, and orchestrate the Death Eater invasion of Hogwarts, one of the most secure facilities in the world._

_All the labors of Hercules combined pale in comparison to the one assignment given to a boy just days past his sixteenth birthday. Adding to his overwhelming vexation, Draco learned only a few months later he would become a father. In February, his son Caelum was born, premature and suffering from life threatening health issues. (please see our feature on Caelum beginning on page 32.) It is little wonder pictures of him from that year show a thin, pale, distressed young man, looking anguished and older than his years._

_Draco stalled as long as possible. When he received an anonymous owl with a picture of his mother and a lock of her hair, he knew he could wait no longer. He arranged to have a poisoned necklace delivered to Headmaster Dumbledore. Unfortunately, it fell into the hands of a curious classmate instead, who was gravely injured but has now made a full recovery. A few months later, he made a second attempt, by poisoning a bottle of mead that Slytherin Head of House Horace Slughorn had intended to present to Dumbledore as a gift. Once again, the poisoned item did not reach its intended target._

_According to Professor Slughorn, Dumbledore was aware of the two attempts on his life as well as the identity of the responsible party. Dumbledore did not report Draco to the aurors, as he understood the position young Malfoy was in, and knew that the efforts were not serious, but only an attempt to appease the Dark Lord and buy more time._

_Eventually, under threat of imminent harm, Draco managed to repair a vanishing cabinet that had been previously deemed unfixable, which the Death Eaters used to enter Hogwarts. Still, Draco wanted no part of the Death Eater raid. According to Harry Potter, who was present at Dumbledore's death, Draco had the headmaster cornered, unarmed, and isolated. Instead of casting the Killing Curse as ordered by Voldemort, Draco lowered his wand and was ready to accept Dumbledore's offer to get the Malfoy family to safety. However, the Death eaters came upon them and Dumbledore was killed before the transaction could be completed. Furthermore, the Death Eaters physically dragged Draco from the scene._

_"Obviously, he didn't want to be there at all." Potter tells The Quibbler. "He would not have killed Dumbeldore, and he looked terrified being taken away by the Death Eaters."_

_Draco was taken back to Malfoy Manor, where according to his Uncle Rabastan Lestrange, he was first tortured for not killing Dumbledore and then hailed as a hero for his part in staging the raid. Although the task did not go quite according to Voldemort's plan, Draco had, in the Dark Lord's opinion, proven himself enough that the young man was placed on the high council. Voldemort personally supervised Draco's training in the Dark Arts, with the intention that Draco would one day be the top Death Eater under Voldemort._

_Draco was now even further trapped. Even the slightest hint of disloyalty or even just not wanting to follow Voldemort would have resulted in immediate death for Draco, his parents, and now his infant son. Life in Voldemort's compound wasn't at all peaceful. The Dark Lord himself frequently tortured his servants for even the slightest shortcomings. He killed one of his followers during a luncheon to make his point. And the Death Eaters frequently attacked one another, jockeying for favoured positions among the ranks. His uncle reports that Draco was seriously injured by jealous Death Eaters on several occasions, nearly dying at the hands of Antonin Dolohov in a sneak attack only two months ago._

_"Draco walked a fine line." Rabastan Lestrange tells us. "He had to appear to be the Dark Lord's commander in training, but his heart wasn't in it. He went on the raids, but he rarely actually harmed anyone. He only did so if Bellatrix or one of the others who would report him to Voldemort were watching. Even then, he only did what he had to do to protect himself."_

_Draco used his son to frequently excuse himself from Death Eater activities. However, Voldemort was rapidly losing patience with Draco's domestic situation._

_"The Dark Lord had commented once or twice that he should remove Draco's child from the picture to minimize Draco's distractions from Voldemort's cause." Mr. Lestrange informs us. "But on the other hand, he used the baby as a device to control Draco. Voldemort was smart enough to realize that if he had actually harmed the child, he probably would have lost Draco completely."_

_The situation was further complicated just before Christmas when Snatchers kidnapped The Quibbler editor Xenophilius Lovegood's daughter Luna, seeking to help Voldemort gain control of the press._

_"Draco knew this girl from school." Mrs. Malfoy says. "Voldemort had already been holding [the famed Wandmaker Garrick] Ollivander and [Hogwarts student] Dean Thomas in our cellar, but with Luna, it was a bit different. Draco had only met Ollivander once, and while he knew Dean Thomas from school, there was a bit of animosity between them. And of course, they were both men. Draco hadn't liked the idea of having prisoners in our dungeon, but the men didn't bother him the way it did when Luna was taken prisoner. She seems naturally fragile. That's not actually the case of course, but since Draco didn't know her well, the situation brought about some protective instincts in him. As for Luna, the first night she was there, when she looked at Draco, there was something in her eyes. She cared about my son. She didn't want him in the midst of the Death Eaters any more than he wanted her there."_

_Draco has actually been charged with Luna's kidnapping, although Luna herself states that he was not involved in any way. He was in another car on the train when she was taken from the Hogwarts Express, and by all accounts, had no idea she was being taken to Malfoy Manor until he arrived and found her there._

_Mr. Lestrange tells us further. "Once Luna was in the cellar, Draco spoke out several times about the pointlessness of having the prisoners. He felt that holding them there was not actually accomplishing anything, and even told Voldemort once he thought it would be more effective to return Luna to her father, as having seen evidence the Death Eaters could easily take her whenever they chose, her father would be afraid to oppose Voldemort further."_

_Voldemort did not agree, and the situation reached a boiling point just after the new year. Voldemort wanted Draco to go on a Death Eater raid. Draco tried to refuse, stating he had no one to care for his son. Narcissa Malfoy suggested they bring Luna out of the cellar and allow her to care for the child._

_"Being a single parent is tiring under good circumstances." Mrs. Malfoy explains. "Draco had a special needs child, and was trying to balance keeping in the Dark Lord's favour. He wasn't eating properly, he wasn't sleeping enough, and when he did sleep, he had nightmares. He desperately needed help, but didn't want to ask for it."_

_Draco initially resisted Luna's help with Caelum, but soon realized he and his son were both better for it._

_According to Mrs. Malfoy "Draco is a very logical, linear thinker. Luna is more abstract and free flowing. She has brought all sorts of ideas and perspectives he had never considered, and some of them have been to Caelum's benefit. In addition, she brought a calming influence and dependable stability that Draco desperately needed."_

_In short time, Luna became the one thing Draco needed most - a friend. She listened without judging him, she encouraged him, and she believed in him._

_It was only a matter of time before the two young people fell in love._

_"It wasn't easy." Mrs. Malfoy tells us of the time Luna and Draco spent together. "He had been damaged by everything that had gone on - being forced into the Dark Arts, the situation with Caelum's mother, being basically held prisoner in his own home by Voldemort. The boy did not trust anyone. It took a lot of patience and understanding on Luna's part to help him work through it all. And on top of that, Luna found herself falling for one of the enemy - a Death Eater whose house she was captive in. It took tremendous strength of character for her to admit her feelings for him as well."_

_Unfortunately, as with everything else in his life, Voldemort soon found his way into Draco and Luna's relationship. Voldemort noticed that Luna was preternaturally talented occlumens, as well as very skilled with wandless and wordless magic. Bellatrix Lestrange suggested that if Draco was such a potentially powerful wizard himself, any offspring Draco and Luna produced could be, with the proper training, the most skillful, accomplished soldiers imaginable. Voldemort immediately saw the possibility of a nearly undefeatable army of Malfoys, and ordered Draco to have children with Luna, whether she was willing or not._

_If there is any doubt as to whether Draco had sold himself to the Dark Side by this point, his decision in the matter shows his true character. A teenage boy, ordered to have relations with a beautiful young lady, chose not to force himself on her. Instead, he put his own life at risk by lying to Voldemort, pretending to comply with the plan, while instead making his own plans to escape with Luna, Caelum, and Mrs. Malfoy._

_While the exact source is questionable, the previous rumours of Luna being pregnant surely were started by one of the Death Eaters. Draco told Voldemort that Luna was pregnant as part of his plan. He wanted the Dark Lord to relax and not watch them so closely, until Draco and Luna had the opportunity to fake a pregnancy related emergency and go to St Mungos, allowing the family to escape from there._

_Before Draco could put his plan into action, the unthinkable happened._

_Voldemort's forces captured Harry Potter._

_The Boy Who Lived himself tells us what happened. "Hermione had quickly thought to cast a Stinging Hex on my face, so that it was swollen and distorted, in hopes that I would not be recognized. The Snatchers recognized Hermione and Ron, however, so we were all taken to Malfoy Manor. Voldemort was not in the Manor when we were brought in. Actually, very few people were there, so Malfoy, Draco, I mean, was called in to identify me. He knew it was me, but he refused to tell them. He kept saying he wasn't sure. He could very easily have told them it was me. They would have called Voldemort back, Draco would have been rewarded, and my friends and I most likely would have died that night. Draco Malfoy risked his life to save mine, and in doing so, he saved thousands if not millions of other lives. Had he identified me, Voldemort would have won the war."_

_To make a long story short, Harry Potter and his companions escaped from Malfoy Manor that night. Draco sent Luna with them. While they returned to make preparations for the imminent final battle, Draco made preparations of his own. He removed Caelum to safety, and went to find Luna._

_"Draco was ordered by Voldemort to lead the Slytherin students to fight from within Hogwarts." Mr. Lestrange informs us. "He didn't go to fight. He had an arsenal of weapons at his disposal, both magical and muggle. He went to Hogwarts with naught but a change of clothing for each of them and wedding rings."_

_Unfortunately, things did not go as Draco hoped. He and Luna found themselves in the midst of the battle, unable to get away. However, in the process, not only did Draco defect from Voldemort's forces and fight alongside Potter and his allies with Luna, but Draco's parents and uncle did as well._

_As we all know, Voldemort was defeated. The Malfoy family was arrested. The investigation revealed that Mrs. Malfoy never actually participated in any Death Eater activities, that she only failed to report her knowledge of such activities to the proper authorities. The Wizengamot took into account the immediate danger Mrs. Malfoy had been in, while the Death Eater forces were occupying her home, and the fact that she had lied to Voldemort, telling him that Harry Potter was dead, thereby facilitating Potter's return to Hogwarts. The judiciary declined to charge her with any crimes. Draco, Lucius, and Rabastan, however, have been charged extensively with relation to their Death Eater activities. Draco alone is charged with 383 criminal counts. The Wizengamot has agreed not to consider The Kiss for any of the three men, respecting their defection from Voldemort at the final battle. However, all three face sentences up to life in Azkaban._

_Draco's life is now confined to an 8x10 cell in the lower level of the Ministry building. He is not allowed out other than for court appearances._

_"He's been an exemplary prisoner." Head Auror Gawain Robards reports. "Not a bit of trouble from him."_

_Luna, Caelum, and his mother are allowed to visit several times per week for an hour at a time. Draco also is receiving outpatient treatment from a St Mungo's healer to help him deal with the abuse he suffered at the hands of Voldemort and his fellow Death Eaters, and his own guilt over the things he was forced to do._

_Lucius Malfoy's trial is currently scheduled to start the first week of July. Dates have not yet been set for Draco or Rab's trials._

_The Quibbler will continue to follow this story and update you on further developments._

**Caelum**

_So one of the big questions everyone has been asking since the salacious Rita Skeeter article is, what is this about Draco Malfoy having a child? Yes, he does have a son, now almost sixteen months old. Draco has sole custody of the child, and it is the intention of the family attorney to file a petition first thing Monday morning so Luna can adopt the child._

_"Draco was sixteen years old, and very sheltered." his mother tells us. "Then of course, there was the fact his life was in turmoil, his father in prison, just having been told what the Dark Lord expected of him, so much weighing on him. What is that muggle expression, about a harbour in the storm? The child's mother was quite a bit older, and looking for a bit of excitement outside her marriage. Draco was taken in by her, as you know, it's difficult for boys that age to understand the difference between love and lust. He believed he loved her, not realizing she was only toying with him. After she became pregnant with Caelum, she ended things with Draco, hurting him very deeply, and then abandoned the child at birth. Draco has had Caelum since the night he was born. The baby had and still has very serious health issues. For several weeks, we didn't know if Caelum would even survive. Draco spent countless hours at St Mungos at his child's bedside, while only a child himself. I truly believe the experience with Caelum has matured him into the person he is today. He has learned patience and empathy from the continued challenges of caring for a special needs child."_

_Mrs. Malfoy politely declined to identify her grandson's birth mother, other than to say that the woman died in the service of Voldemort earlier this year. "Making her name public would not serve any purpose other than to further embarrass her family. They've already been through quite enough."_

_The first ten months of Caelum's life were harrowing and frightful, as Draco had to hide the full extent of the baby's health issues from Voldemort. The Dark Lord would have killed what he considered a "flawed" child. Once Luna came into their lives, she made the situation less stressful by helping Draco care for Caelum and to cover the child's developmental delays._

_Now that Voldemort is dead, Caelum is attending physical therapy and speech therapy at St Mungos, in an effort to help him catch up with other children his age. Although it is likely that he will never walk without assistance, Caelum shows to be highly intelligent, and his charming personality easily wins over the hearts of everyone he meets._

**Luna**_  
><em>

_Draco's new wife remains hopeful that the Wizengamot will be merciful on her husband.  
><em>

_"He's not an evil person. He is someone forced to do things he didn't want to do by powers beyond his control."  
><em>

_In the meantime, she will continue to care for little Caelum, and spend as much time as possible with Draco.  
><em>

There were pictures scattered throughout the magazine. Draco as a young boy. Draco at Hogwarts in his Quidditch uniform. One of Draco with Crabbe and Goyle with their feet in the fish pond in the garden at the Manor, explaining that the other two boys had also been pressed into Voldemort's service, resulting in the death of one and the permanent paralysis of the other. Draco in his sixth year, looking ready to drop from exhaustion. Draco by Caelum's crib at St Mungo's. Draco in a recliner with his son snuggled into his shirt, both of them asleep. Several more pictures of Draco and Caelum. Pictures of Caelum and Luna. Caelum at physical therapy. Luna and Caelum visiting Draco at the holding cell. Draco and his mother in his cell. Many pictures of the wedding, most notably the moment Draco and Luna had both kissed Caelum's cheeks. _  
><em>

The page Luna created about Rab also made it in, with a few minor tweaks by Xeno.

"It is better than I had even hoped." Luna agreed.

Caelum had become bored with his grandmother's attention and began calling his daddy. Draco pushed the magazine aside with a smile, and settled into the floor to play with his son. The morning passed too soon, as soon it was time for lunch. Afterwards, Draco rocked his son to sleep before settling him in the crib and turning to Luna.

"One last time." he whispered, leading her to the bedroom.

They took their time, savoring each sensation, knowing this could very well be the last time they made love. Afterwards, Draco went to the nursery and brought Caelum back, settling the child between his parents so they could all take a nap together one last time.

It was nearly 3 when they awoke. Draco took a quick shower, then sat in the armchair in the nursery which had once again been charmed larger, to hold his wife and son until he had to leave.

Luna gave him a photo album to take back with him.

At twenty minutes to four, Potter knocked on the nursery door.

"I'm sorry, but we have to go in about ten minutes." he informed Draco.

Draco nodded stiffly. Potter left, and Narcissa came in a moment later. She did her best to hold back tears, telling her son how much she loved him and how proud she was of him.

Draco in turn, said similar things to Caelum and Luna. He rose to his feet when Potter returned. He kissed Luna, and placed Caelum in her arms.

"I love you both." he whispered.

"I love you too." she answered.

"Bye Caelum." he choked.

"Duhduh!" the child shrieked, suddenly realizing that Draco was leaving. "No! No! My Duhduh!"

Draco crossed the room, the photo album in his hand. He paused at the door, turning one last time to look back at his wife and mother with silent tears streaming down their faces, and his son throwing a tantrum.

"Duhduh!"

Draco clenched his jaw, squeezed his eyes closed, and walked through the doorway.

Luna and Narcissa followed him to the hall, Narcissa trailing behind down the stairs, while Luna stayed just outside the nursery door.

"He'll be back." she told Caelum, who continued to scream, cry, kick, call for his daddy, and then shouted "Fuh!" when he accidentally kicked the door frame.

To Draco's surprise, Potter led him not to one of the floos, but outside the front door.

"There are some protesters down at the Ministry." Potter explained. "We're just going to apparate back into the holding area." They crossed the barrier, and Draco took Potter's arm. He felt the familiar tug, and a moment later, they were standing outside the cell.

Draco pulled his arm loose, stomped into the cell, and threw himself onto the bed. He curled into a fetal position, facing the wall, with the book clutched to his chest. His body shuddered from the effort of holding himself together in front of Potter.

"Draco?" the edge of the mattress dipped slightly. "Do you want me to stay with you?"

Draco furiously shook his head no.

"All right then. I'll be down the hall. Let us know if you need anything."

The bed shifted slightly as Potter stood, and shortly after, Draco heard the sound of the cell door closing. He counted to twenty, making sure Potter was well down the hall before he allowed the sobs to break free.

Harry walked into the auror office to find it looked as if a parchment factory had exploded.

"What is all this?" he asked.

"Today's mail." Williamson sighed. "The Quibbler article has sparked an outrageous public outpouring of sympathy for Draco Malfoy. There were at least two dozen howlers. That one," he pointed to a red envelope on the corner of another desk. "Is for Draco. From his father."

Harry picked up the red envelope, tossed it into the empty fireplace, and pointed his wand. "Incendio."

* * *

><p>It took nearly an hour and half a teaspoon of Calming Draught before Caelum finally settled down. Even then, he clung to Luna and would not allow his mummy to put him down.<p>

Narcissa came to the nursery, suspiciously red eyed and her face splotchy.

"Come with me. I want to show you something." she beckoned toward the stairs.

She took Luna to the dining room, probably the first time either of them had been in the room since returning to the Manor after the war.

The whole surface of the massive table was covered with letters. In some places, the stacks were six or eight inches high.

"What is this?" Luna asked.

"The feedback from The Quibbler article." Narcissa smiled.


	93. Chapter 91

Draco laid on his bed, facing the wall, not turning to look when the door of the cell opened.

"I'm leaving your dinner." Savage's voice informed him. "Let us know if you need anything."

His footsteps crossed the cell, and the door clanked shut. Draco couldn't bring himself to even roll over. He didn't want to be in their world. He wanted them to leave him alone in his head, where he could still hear their voices and smell Luna's shampoo and feel Caelum's arms around his neck. He laid there still, as the lights were dimmed as they always were after dinner, and then turned out except for the night lights. His eyes eventually became heavy and drifted shut.

_There was a faint tap on Draco's bedroom door before Bella pushed it open. Sometimes he wondered why she bothered._

_He didn't turn from staring at the fire as she walked up behind him. Her arms slid around his waist as she molded herself against his back._

_"You were brilliant." she breathed in his ear._

_"I tortured Rowle." he hissed. "He's one of us."_

_"We're Death Eaters." she told him. "'Us' exisists when it's your own best interest. Otherwise it's each for himself or herself."_

_He didn't answer except to shake his head slightly._

_"There is no such thing as friendship in our world." she said coldly. "Hesitation will get you killed around here. Caring is weakness. When you would sacrifice me or your father for the Dark Lord without a second thought, then you are ready to be second in command."_

_"Would you sacrifice me?" he asked._

_"For the Dark Lord, if he asked me to, I would have to." she answered. "I wouldn't sacrifice you for anyone else. There are quite a few I would sacrifice for you if it came to it."_

_"I really don't want it to ever come to that." he tried to pull away from her._

_"Don't go turning into a fucking Gryffindor on me now." she growled, her arm coming up to hook around his shoulder. She bit and then sucked on the side of his neck. "Whatever you want tonight. The Dark Lord praised me for how well I'm doing with your training."_

_"I want you to go away and leave me alone tonight." his voice sounded weary._

_"No you don't." she whispered. "Not really. So what do you want to do to me tonight? Or what do you want me to do to you?"_

_He took her hand, leading her into the bathroom._

_He turned on the water in the shower so it would warm up, then began to strip without a word. Bella followed suit, joining him under the spray. She stepped forward, placing her hands on the sides of his waist, then sliding them down and around to cup his hips. She pressed her lips to his and her body against him. He kissed her, his tongue intertwining with hers, before he pulled back and pressed his hands against his shoulders. _

_She understood what he was asking and obediently knelt in front of him, taking him into her mouth. He leaned back against the wall, holding the towel bar for support, closing his eyes. He let his brain shut down and just feel, enjoying the warm water running across his body and the different moist heat surrounding his cock, without thinking of who was doing this to him. _

_"Look at me." Bella said softly. _

_"No." he shook his head. _

_"I told you to look at me." she hissed. _

_He just shook his head again. "I don't want to see. I just want to feel."_

_"I said look at me." she ordered. _

_"No Bella. You don't have control of me any more." he answered._

He awoke to find himself in his cell at the Ministry. He laid there puzzled for a moment, as he knew how situation in the dream ended. She became increasingly angry about his refusal to watch her, and ended up crucioing him in the shower, which he found out, was much more painful than if you were dry and clothed.

Apparently Bella didn't have control over him any more.

He laughed softly, then rolled onto his side and went back to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>Interview with Malfoy Hostage<strong>

**A Daily Prophet Exclusive**

_Dean Thomas, a Hogwarts student who was held captive by the Death Eaters in the dungeon of Malfoy Manor sat down yesterday for an exclusive interview with our reporter Andy Smudgley. The full text of the interview will appear in this evening's edition, but we wanted to give our readers a sample this morning._

_Mr. Thomas, a muggleborn, had gone on the run last summer when he was informed that he would no longer be allowed to attend school due to his blood status. During the unfortunate period when muggleborns were being persecuted by the Voldemort controlled Ministry of Magic, Mr. Thomas joined with two adult wizards and a goblin to evade the Snatchers. Mr. Thomas and the Goblin, Griphook, were captured by Snatchers and taken to Malfoy Manor in early December. Their two companions were later killed by Snatchers, and after escaping from the Death Eaters, Griphook was captured a second time by Voldemort after the Gringotts Debacle and was killed._

_Mr. Thomas was tortured daily for the first two weeks of his captivity as he had been a Gryffindor housemate of Harry Potter. "The Death Eaters seemed to believe that I had some knowledge of Harry's whereabouts and activities. It took them quite a bit to accept that he and I hadn't spoken since school had ended at the beginning of the summer. Once they finally believed me, they still did torture me from time to time, but more as sport than to try to gain information."_

_In light of Saturday's The Quibbler article alleging that Draco Malfoy was an unwilling accomplice and little more than a prisoner himself, we asked Mr. Thomas whether Malfoy had ever participated in his torture._

_"Draco? No." he tells us. "His father, yes. His aunt, nearly every time. Draco actually arranged to get us additional food and blankets in the cellar, and brought us medicine."_

_Yes, readers, according to Mr. Thomas, Draco Malfoy helped the prisoners when he could at great personal risk to himself. But is the rest of The Quibbler's article true, was he really as much a prisoner as Mr. Thomas?_

_"He and I really didn't know one another at school, mostly due to house rivalries and Quidditch. I don't believe we had ever tried to have a proper conversation. And we really didn't have a chance to have one while I was in the Manor. But he certainly seemed frightened and uneasy most of the time, rather than a confident, powerful Death Eater."_

_Don't miss this evening's edition of The Daily Prophet, with the full text of the interview with Mr. Thomas. He discusses such subjects as Voldemort, growing up with Harry Potter, and his life after the war.  
><em>

* * *

><p>The owls continued to pour in the next day. There were a scattered handful expressing outrage that all the Malfoys weren't dead for their association with Voldemort, but nearly all were strongly supportive of Draco and expressed hope that he would be released.<p>

A different letter than all the others came that morning. The attorney notified them that Draco had to make a decision as to what he wanted to do about Bella's estate.

Luna slipped it into her pocket, along with a second letter she has just read which was also different from all the others, and flooed the auror office to ask if she could see Draco.

Williamson answered. "Hold on, let me ask Robards."

He came back a few minutes later. "That would be fine. We'll send Harry to get you in a bit so he can apparate you in. It's best if you don't come in by floo. Things are somewhat mad in the foyer today."

"Is everything all right?" Luna frowned. "Is Draco all right?"

"Oh, yes. Things are quite fine down here in the basement. There are just some protestors upstairs causing a bit of … well, they're up there." The auror answered her.

Luna walked to the dining room, where Narcissa was still sorting mail and reported the odd conversation to her mother in law.

"You didn't see last night's Prophet, did you?" the older woman smirked, handing it to her.

**Demonstrators Demand Malfoy's Release**

_The normally peaceful Ministry of Magic has been anything but after this morning's article in The Quibbler. Protesters have filled the atrium, demanding the release of Draco Malfoy._

_"He was just a boy." proclaims the sign held by Mrs. Charlotte Pennyworth, a housewitch from Topsham. "He's two years older than my son." the woman tells The Daily Prophet. "And I can tell you, if my son was in that position, he would have done the same as young Malfoy."_

_"Such a romantic story." says Mrs. Arabella Figg, a kneazle breeder from Little Whinging. "He and his young lady have been through so much on the path to true love. The poor children deserve a spot of happiness."_

_Very few know Malfoy personally, only having thrown their support behind the young man after reading his story. Thelma Honeyduke is one exception, having sold Malfoy quite a bit of chocolate over the years. "Right polite boy he's always been. Always a pleasure when he comes in the store. I believe them when they say he was a victim of that evil Voldemort."_

_While Malfoy's cause appears to be very popular with the ladies, and especially the young ladies, he has his share of male backers too. Former fellow Slytherin Quidditch players Marcus Flint and Adrian Pucey, now both playing professionally for the Falmouth Falcons, turned out this afternoon to show their support for their friend._

_"Malfoy was always a decent bloke." Pucey tells us. "He even convinced his dad to buy the whole team new brooms one year. He knew mine was about done, and didn't want to embarrass me by asking his dad to buy one for me alone."_

_Head Auror Gawain Robards tells us that the protestors have been a bit distracting, but not any real trouble. "They've kept everything low key." he reports. A few tried to come down to the holding cells to talk to the aurors or to offer their support to Mr. Malfoy, but once they were told they weren't allowed inside, they left without much fuss."_

_Ministry Mailroom director Sam Shunpike tells us the Wizengamot will have their work cut out for them when they return Monday. "They've gotten enough mail today to fill the chamber, and it's still coming in. Most are demanding the charges be dropped against Malfoy, or demanding that he get a trial date set right away."_

_Brunhilda Selwyn of the popular Wizarding Wireless programme Brunch with Brunhilda promises to devote her entire show to debate of Malfoy's situation tomorrow._

_Keep reading The Daily Prophet for updates on Draco Malfoy, the charges against him, and his upcoming trial as the information becomes available._

"I would hate to be on the Wizengamot if they don't free him." Narcissa smirked.

* * *

><p>Harry came two hours later to escort Luna to the Ministry.<p>

"I'm glad you're coming." he told her. "Malfoy hasn't spoken to anyone since he got back."

She nodded as Harry unlocked the cell door and stepped aside to let her in. Draco didn't turn or speak, but his back stiffened. He knew someone was there.

"Draco." she said softly, and his head whipped around.

"Luna?" he shot out of the bed, wrapping her in his arms. "Is everything all right?"

"Why wouldn't it be?" she asked, frowning.

"I just didn't think they'd let you come see me this soon." He held her close, trembling.

"You haven't eaten." she pulled back to look at him, noticing the two untouched trays on the table.

"I wasn't hungry." he shrugged, not meeting her eyes.

"Draco, you can't do this to yourself. You have to eat." she brushed his hair back from his face.

"I will." he answered unconvincingly.

"Now. I have to talk to you about something." she took his hand and led him over to sit on the bed. "The attorneys said you have to make a decision soon about what to do about your inheritance from Bella."

"I don't want it." he growled. "I don't care what they do with it. But I don't want a fucking knut from her."

"Listen to me. I have an idea." Luna pleaded.

"Don't you understand?" he growled. "Taking anything from her feels like I'm getting paid for my services. What she did was bad enough. I damn sure don't want her money afterwards!"

"Read this letter." she handed him an envelope.

_Dear Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy,_

_I hope you will forgive my forwardness in writing this letter, as I have only met Mr. Malfoy a few times at social functions despite the fact he was a classmate of my sister Tracey, and don't believe I have ever met Mrs. Malfoy. _

_On April 21 of this year, my husband Crispin Warrington was killed by snatchers who had mistaken him for his cousin, a muggle sympathizer. Two days later I gave birth to a beautiful baby girl I named Cristianna. The following week, a joint memorial service was held for my husband and my daughter. _

_My child is not dead. _

_She was born with a condition the healers called Trisomy 21, and muggles call Down Syndrome. Her mind will never fully develop. She has a bad heart, she is hearing impaired, and her hips joints are loose, which will make it difficult for her to ever learn to walk. _

_Everyone told me you're young, you'll get married again, you'll have healthy children. They told me it was best if I sent her to a muggle institution before I got attached. She would never have a life worth living. She will die young. A place like that is equipped to deal with her problems. A newly widowed mother is not. _

_I did what I thought was best. I sent her away. _

_Then I saw your article in The Quibbler. _

_Your son was so much worse than Cristianna. They said you spent weeks by his side, not knowing if he would survive. You've fought to give him the best life possible. _

_Please, tell me how to do the same for my daughter. I love her so much. I want her with me, and to give her the best possible life for whatever time she does have on this earth. Who can help me? How do I arrange physical therapy for her? Is there a doctor who will treat a child that young for a heart defect? What can I do to help her?_

_I truly from the bottom of my heart would appreciate any advice or insight you can give us. _

_Sincerely,_

_Rebecca Davis Warrington_

Draco looked up at her when he finished.

"This is what you're meant to do with that money." Luna told him. "Help the Caelums and Cristiannas of the world."

He nodded without a word.


	94. Chapter 92

A/N - to answer the anon reviewer's question, yes, the letter from Rebecca Warrington was directed to Draco and Luna. They are Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy now as well as Lucius and Narcissa. :)

* * *

><p>Luna took Caelum to his physical therapy session later that afternoon. They were still working with him on his balance. He couldn't seem to remain upright even with his walker.<p>

'You told me he rides a rocking horse at home regularly." The therapist narrowed his eyes in thought. "How does he stay on that?"

"Someone has to hold him." Luna answered. "His balance with that isn't any better than his balance with anything else."

"Let him fall off." the therapist told her.

"What?" Luna's eyebrows shot to the top of her head.

"I didn't say let him get hurt." the therapist shook his head. "Just let him fall off a few times. Put a thick blanket on the floor, maybe use a cushioning charm. But if he doesn't learn how not to fall off, he will never learn to stay on."

Luna nodded. "That makes sense."

* * *

><p>Once the idea of helping other children formed, it spiraled and snowballed, and took on a life of its own.<p>

Draco filled two notebooks with ideas and plans by the time the solicitor came the next day with documents for him to sign.

His mother was waiting when the attorney left. Draco had known she would come when Luna announced their plans. He expected her to come in like an angry Norse goddess, eyes flashing and fury in her face. He had mentally prepared himself to answer a dozen or more arguments, all of which began with something akin to _"What_ do you think you're doing?"

He hadn't expected her to arrive with tears in her eyes, to sigh "Oh little dragon," to sit beside him on the bed with one arm around his waist and holding his hand with the other.

"I'm going to do this, Mother." he told her firmly.

"Draco, using Bella's money to help other children won't change the person she was. It won't change the fact that she rejected your baby. It won't give Caelum the mother you wanted him to have. It won't undo what she did to you."

"It gives me some peace about it." he answered, looking down at their linked hands.

"I suppose that's the best we can hope for." she said, laying her head against his shoulder.

* * *

><p><strong>Draco Malfoy Announces New Charitable Foundation<strong>

_Draco Malfoy held a press conference today from his jail cell in the basement of the Ministry of Magic, not to proclaim his innocence, or even to talk about his upcoming trial, which still doesn't have a set date._

_He instead announced that he is pledging the entirety of his inheritance from his aunt Bellatrix Lestrange, estimated to be more than five million galleons, to a charitable organization to help special needs children._

_"My aunt Bellatrix was not supportive of my decision to raise my son. She felt that so called "imperfect" children were best left to die, or sent away, so as not be a burden on their families. She never held my son, and I can tell you both times in his life she ever called him by name._

_I was hurt over her rejection of Caelum, until my friend Luna, who is now my wife, explained to me that Aunt Bella didn't know anything differently. She had never known a wizarding family who had chosen to parent their special needs child. She was simply echoing the prejudices and stereotypes she had been taught._

_As a result, she missed out on getting to know an amazing little boy who would have loved her very much._

_I want to change the world sees these children. My son may never be a star Quidditch player, but one day he will hopefully contribute to the world in other ways. The same goes for other children with other types of disabilities. Society should not focus on what these children can't do, but what they could be one day with the proper support structure in place._

_Luna and I believe that any special needs child or their family should be able to access the resources they need to care for the child in a loving environment, regardless of their financial status. Indeed, having a special needs child is often draining on the family, as medical care and equipment can be rather expensive, or one parent may have to leave their job to care for the child full time._

_The Malfoy-Lestrange Foundation will provide whatever assistance is needed to special needs families. If they need assistance in arranging care for their child, or even just information as to what services are available, we will provide it. If they need help affording a wheelchair or other adaptive equipment, we will purchase it. But most of all, we will strive to change society's view of individuals with disabilities, or even, different abilities. They are no less worthwhile than people our society deems to be "acceptable."_

_Our mission will be complete if we can help even one family find the joy Caelum has brought to my life."_

_If anyone had stopped talking about Malfoy after last week's article in The Quibbler, they're certainly talking about him again now. Is he serious about this?_

_Two women who have written to Malfoy since hearing of his son assure us that he is._

_"I have a child born with multiple handicaps. I wrote to the Malfoys asking how I could get help for her." Mrs. Rebecca Warrington tells us. "Mrs. Luna Malfoy met me for lunch. She gave me a list of names of healers and therapists, and a book called 'Angel Unaware' that was about a child with the same type of issues as my Cristianna. Draco Malfoy has sent me several encouraging letters, and told me honestly that raising my daughter will be difficult, but it will be worth everything I have to go through."_

_Greta Gildan tells a similar story. "My son Billy was injured two years ago in a broom accident, and can no longer walk. I wrote to Mr. Malfoy, asking if there were some exercises I could do with Billy at home. I've had to quit my job to care for my son, and money has been tight. Mr. Malfoy arranged for a physical therapist to come to our home at no cost to work with Billy, and bought him a wheelchair, so we could take him out of the house."_

_Malfoy hopes to run the charity from jail and later Azkaban as much as possible, but announced that he does not intend to take a knut in salary from the foundation. "I have more money than I need now. Why should I take payment from the foundation if that money can be used to help others?"_

_Mrs. Malfoy will help with the charity in any manner she can, but states that her primary focus will be raising little Caelum, the inspiration behind the endowment. The Malfoy family solicitors filed the petition to allow Luna Malfoy to adopt her husband's child earlier this week, and expect the transaction to be complete sometime next month.  
><em>

_Malfoy's mother, Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy stated that she is supportive of her son and proud of his efforts. "This was wholly Draco and Luna's idea. I will support them fully, but this is their operation to manage as they see fit."  
><em>

_Malfoy's father, Lucius Malfoy, currently incarcerated in Azkaban, awaiting trial, had no comment.  
><em>

* * *

><p>Danko commented on the change in Draco when he came for their therapy session the next day.<p>

"You're much more focused. This charity project seems to have given you focus." he observed.

Draco nodded. "I feel like it has. I've got something to occupy my mind so it doesn't wander to all those other things."

"That's all well and good, but you still have to work through those other things." the healer told him. "Just pushing them aside won't make them go away."

"I was afraid you were going to say that." Draco frowned.

* * *

><p>On the sixth day of her marriage, Luna woke from a dream about Draco. She stared toward the ceiling, all alone in the big bed where she had slept with Draco, missing him so much her chest hurt. She listened carefully for sounds indicating that Caelum was stirring, but the nursery was blessedly silent.<p>

She counted the days on her fingers. It had been sixteen days since their encounter in St Mungos. Enough time for an accurate result. Luna tiptoed to the wardrobe, fishing The Exhaustive Book of Common Household Spells by Gertrude Prewett from the top shelf. She looked up the spell in the index, then turned pages with trembling fingers.

She repeated the incantation carefully, flicking and swishing the wand in front of her belly.

The wand tip stayed dark.

Caelum was not going to be a big brother.

Luna crawled back into the bed, pulling the covers to her chin, and cried silently.

* * *

><p>AN - Angel Unaware is a real book written by Dale Evans Rogers about her daughter Robin, who was born with Down Syndrome and died of a heart defect when she was two years old. If you decide to check it out, you'll need tissues. Lots of tissues.


	95. Chapter 93

_Good Morning, Wizarding World. This is Brunch with Brunhilda and I'm your witch on the watch, Brunhilda Selwyn. This morning, we're talking about the new Malfoy-Lestrange Foundation. Is Draco Malfoy doing the right thing, trying to change the world? Is he a genuine philanthropist, or is this a briliant ploy to get his criminal charges reduced? We'll be taking your owls right after this message from our sponsors..._

* * *

><p>The next day, Luna put two thick blankets on the floor under Caelum's horse, sat him on the seat, and carefuly removed her hands. He looked at her curiously.<p>

"You can do it." she encouraged, moving back. "You rock the horse."

He leaned forward and then backwards, setting the horse in motion. He promptly slid off the side of the saddle. He landed on his tummy on the blankets. Luna rushed toward him.

Caelum whirled around with an angry bellow and hit the toy's rocker. He looked up at Luna with narrowed eyes and a protruding bottom lip.

She laughed. "You are such a little Malfoy."

* * *

><p><strong>Malfoy Motion Granted, Eight Charges Dropped<strong>

_Draco Malfoy's attorney scored a victory for his client today in a pre-trial motion hearing. The Wizengamot today withdrew one count each of kidnapping and false imprisonment of Garrick Ollivander, Dean Thomas, Luna Lovegood Malfoy, and Griphook the Goblin. Statements from the surviving victims all agree that Mr. Malfoy was not present at the time any of the victims were taken, and that Malfoy actually provided food and supplies to the captives against the orders of his superior Death Eaters._

_The Wizengamot denied lawyer Winston Greystoke's motion to dismiss other charges against Malfoy, or to set a trial date._

_Malfoy remains in custody, still facing 375 charges related to his Death Eater activities during the Second Wizarding War._

* * *

><p>Two more howlers came for Malfoy from his father over the next few days. Harry burned both of them without delivering them.<p>

Unfortunately, Harry was off the day the fourth one came. Zimmerman delivered it to the cell, because no one told him not to.

_Draco,_

_I do not accept being ignored lightly. If you continue to do so, I will force you to acknowledge me._

_You will have this ridiculous farce of a marriage annulled, marry a proper pure blooded witch, produce an honourable pure blooded heir, and stop parading about in the media like a muggle circus act._

_This is the last time I will speak to you on the matter._

_Your Father_

Draco wished for a wand in that moment so he could hex the annoying red letter before it self destructed. Someone cleared their throat behind him, and he turned to find Robards standing outside the cell.

"You don't think your father is going to try anything here, you know, that we need some extra security or maybe to warn the staff to be on high alert?" the head auror asked.

Draco sighed. "That's the problem with my father. You never know what he's going to do when he feels backed into a corner. I probably should have written him to tell him about the foundation and my marriage rather than letting him hear it through the news. That's probably why he feels ignored. But I just wasn't in the mood to read his scathing replies."

Robards sighed. "He sent you three other howlers this week. Potter burned them all."

"Who gave _Potter_ the right to interfere in my life?" Draco snapped.

"I'm sure he thought he was doing you a favor." Robards replied. "But it should have been your decision."

"Yes it should." Draco insisted crossly.

* * *

><p>Potter stopped by Draco's cell the next day when he returned to work.<p>

"Malfoy," he said. "I heard what happened. I'm sorry. I was just trying to ... "

"Trying to _what,_ Potter?" Draco raged. "Play God? Continue saving the world that doesn't need to be saved any more? Protect the little Death Eater from the big bad Death Eater? Get this through your head, Potter. You're not the Chosen One any more. The war is over. It's time to move on."

"I really am sorry." Potter repeated, and walked away.

* * *

><p>The rest of the week passed in flurry of activity for Luna. There were Caelum's therapy appointments, owls coming in from parents of children seeking help from the foundation, healers offering their services to the foundation, and reporters seeking statements or interviews. She had to meet with several people on Draco's behalf to facilitate the set up of the foundation, and she had to legally change her name with the Ministry after her marriage, which somehow turned into a media event. Due to the hearing, his meetings with the lawyer about setting up the charity, and a therapy session where Wilkinson had escorted Draco over to St Mungo's to meet with Danko and Greg, it was the end of the week before she got to see Draco again.<p>

She tried again a few days later with not holding Caelum in place on the rocking horse.

He narrowed his eyes at her indignantly. "No, Mummy." he insisted.

"You can do it. You're a big boy. You hold onto the horse." she encouraged.

He stayed on a little longer, but still fell off.

She got him right back up and put him on again. This time he stayed upright even longer, and managed to right himself once before he fell off. She hugged him and kissed him and praised him, and believed that maybe he was starting to get it.

By the beginning of the following week, things were starting to settle into a routine. Mornings were Caelum's therapy, visits with Draco, or occasionally both on the same day, and afternoons were foundation business. Sometimes Narcissa had dinner with them in the nursery, and once in a while, Luna and Caelum came to the dining room to eat with her.

Thursday was to be the adoption hearing for Caelum. Draco's attorney had requested a closed court room to prevent the possibility that the identity of Caelum's mother would be revealed to the public. Members of the Wizengamot were of course bound by secrecy charms.

Luna met Draco and Zimmerman down in the holding area and walked with them to the Wizengamot chambers. Draco's attorney met him at the door.

"We've got a problem." Buckingham murmured softly. "There's another solicitor here stating that he's a interested party."

"What party?" Draco frowned.

"I have no idea." the lawyer shrugged.

The Head Warlock cleared his throat, so Draco, Luna, and Buckingham took their places.

"We are here in the case of the minor child Caelum Abraxas Malfoy, born 12 February 1997." the old man began reading from the parchment in front of him. "The biological father of the child Draco Lucius Malfoy, and his wife Luna Lovegood Malfoy are petitioning the court to allow them to legally adopt the child. What parties do we have represented here today?" he asked, looking from one attorney to the other.

"Ellsworth Buckingham IV," Draco's lawyer stood and identified himself. "I represent the Malfoys, who are present with me here in the court room. We have previously filed an affadavit that the child's biological mother is deceased."

The other attorney stood. "Douglas McSwain, your honour, here by request of Lucius Malfoy to determine if this adoption is in the best interest of his nephew."

There was a twittering among the jurists at the word nephew. McSwain smirked at Draco before continuing. "Mr. Lucius Malfoy contends that the child is not actually Draco Malfoy's son, but is in fact the child of Rodolphus and Bellatrix Lestrange, a legitimate offspring of their marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Lestrange did relinquish custody at birth as the child was born unhealthy and was not expected to survive. Draco Malfoy has cared for this child, but Caelum is not _his_ child. Therefore, Lucius Malfoy asks the court to consider whether another relative of the biological parents may be a more suitable guardian."

"Your honour, a moment to confer with my clients, please." Buckingham requested.

The Head Warlock nodded.

The attorney turned to Draco and Luna.

Draco was furious. "My father is trying to force me to either give up the adoption or make Caelum's parentage public."


	96. Chapter 94

"Are you going to drop the adoption?" Buckingham asked.

"No." Draco snorted.

"Are you willing to fight this?" the attorney continued. "How far are you willing to go?"

"I'll do whatever I have to." Draco replied determinedly. "He's not going to take my son from me."

Buckingham turned back to the jurists. "Your Honour, as Lucius Malfoy has never shown any interest in the child's life prior to this moment, we are curious as to what his intentions are and what he is seeking."

"Counselor?" the Chief Warlock looked over his glasses at the other lawyer.

"Mr. Lucius Malfoy has sent photographs of Bellatrix Lestrange, showing that she was obviously pregnant the Christmas before Caelum was born." McSwain handed a folder to the bailiff, who handed it to the judge. "Mr. Malfoy does not want the family name of his dear brother in law to end, which will most undoubtedly be the case as Rabastan Lestrange does not have any children, and is unlikely to have any in the future, as he is facing a lengthy sentence in Azkaban. Mr. Malfoy would like the child's name to be changed to Lestrange, and would like the Wizengamot to order that any Lestrange relatives be encouraged to apply for custody and adoption of the child. Mr. Malfoy believes that all children should optimally be raised in a two parent home, not with one parent at home and one in Azkaban."

Buckingham looked at Draco, who nodded. "Your Honour," he addressed. "Mr. Draco Malfoy is willing to stipulate that Bellatrix Lestrange is the mother of the child." There were more gasps and whispering among the jurists. "Mrs. Lestrange sought to have a child. Her husband was infertile. She forced her nephew, who was underage at the time, to have relations with her under the compulsion of the Imperius Curse, which resulted in the birth of the child, Caelum _Malfoy._ The child's mother was married to Rodolphus Lestrange at the time, but Draco Malfoy is the child's biological father. Anyone who were to look at the child could see that."

"Your Honour," McSwain continued before the Head Warlock could answer. "If Draco Malfoy insists he is the father of the child, it would be in the best interest of all parties to order parentage testing. After all, the child's resemblance to Draco Malfoy can easily be explained by his _blood relationship_ to the mother. "

"You do realize that parentage testing is generally public information?" the Chief Warlock looked over his glasses at McSwain.

"Yes, Your Honour." McSwain looked over at Draco. "But doesn't the court have a responsibility to make sure the best interests of the child, and his biological family, whomever that may be, are served?"

"Your Honour," Buckingham directed to the Chief Warlock. "The petitioner moves to seal the results of the parentage testing on the grounds that the results might negatively prejudice the outcome of his criminal trial."

"Mr. Buckingham, you realize this is unprecedented?" the Chief Warlock asked.

"Your Honour, there is extensive precedent to suppress irrelevant information that could influence another matter pending before the court. If I could call in my partner Winston Greystoke, who is handling Mr. Draco Malfoy's criminal case … "

"Obviously, there are several matters to consider in this case, and the court has only allotted a relatively short time, as we did not believe this was going to be anything more than a formality." the Chief Warlock looked between the two lawyers. "I'm going to declare a continuation of two weeks. The court secretary will notify you of the new court date. And Mr. Buckingham, have your partner find me some precedents of suppressing parentage testing." With that, he banged the gavel, dismissing them for the day.

Luna and Zimmerman walked Draco back to the holding cell. Buckingham said he needed to send a quick owl to his office and he would be right there.

Unfortunately, they passed Harry Potter in the hallway leading to the cells. Draco, with his hands shackled behind him, threw off accidental magic with a shout of frustration that knocked Harry off his feet.

"This is all your fucking fault!" he screamed.

He stood over a stunned Harry, ready to stomp on his face, again, when Zimmerman stupefied Draco.

Savage came flying down the hall at the sound of the commotion, followed seconds later by Wilkinson and Robards.

"What happened?" Harry asked weakly as Savage helped him up.

"Lucius sent an attorney to the hearing to request that Caelum be declared the legal son of Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange, his name be changed to Lestrange, and that he be placed in the custody of Lestrange relatives. The Wizengamot put the adoption on hold, and we have to go back in two weeks to find out what's going to happen."

"No." Harry gasped in horror, looking over to where Wilkinson and Zimmerman had hauled Draco to his feet, now shackled, manacled, gagged, and with charms placed on him to limit his magic.

The trainee turned to Robards. "Don't hold this against him. I shouldn't have burned those letters from Lucius."

"Potter, this won't be easy to overlook." Robards sighed. "He assaulted an auror in training."

"The auror pushed him over the edge." Harry insisted. "He's lost everything, and all he has left are his wife and child. He's afraid he's about to lose one of them."

"To justify it, I'll have to give you a disciplinary demerit." Robards looked hard at Harry. "Are you willing to take that for him?"

Harry nodded. "I deserve it. I _was_ trying to play God."

Luna followed the aurors escorting her husband back to his cell. They rather roughly dumped him on the bed, removing the bindings and spells. The prisoner did not move.

Luna pressed forward into the cell.

Zimmerman grabbed her by the arm. "Ma'am, I'm afraid I can't allow you in here right now."

"Look at him!" Luna cried, shoving her finger toward the figure on the bed. "Look at him. He's locked in his mind again."

The two aurors looked, and realized she was right. Malfoy's face was blank, his eyes with the faraway look that told he was watching something those outside could not see. They looked at each other.

"Two minutes." Wilkinson told her. "You can have two minutes to try to bring him out, _non-violently,_ or we're calling St Mungos again."

_Draco was in the nursery when the commotion began. Rinka came in, wide eyed._

_"You must downstairs, quick!" she ran in, tripping over her feet and her words._

_"What is it?" Draco asked, trying not to panic._

_"Go! I watch baby!" she shooed him toward the door._

_He made his way downstairs and heard the voices before he even reached the drawing room. Too many voices. Voices that didn't belong here._

_He walked into the room, and the first person he saw was Dolohov._

_Dolohov, who was supposed to be in prison with his father._

_There was Rookwood, and Mulciber._

_Draco's heart was rapidly dropping._

_"There he is." came a smooth drawl, and Draco turned to find his father in the middle of the room._

_Lucius Malfoy looked horrifying. He was filthy, his hair was matted, he hadn't shave in some time, his eyes were sunken, and he had an almost mad expression._

_Too much like another somewhat mad member of the household, and Draco found himself involuntarily taking a step back and coming up short of breath._

_"Gentlemen." the lord of the manor took a step, and the crowd parted for him. "I will return in a few moments to finish catching up. But I understand my son has reached a tremendous milestone in his life while I was gone, and I must speak with him about it." _

_He made his way toward Draco, nodding toward the door. Draco had already turned and started that direction when he felt his father's hand clamp down on his shoulder, clenching painfully, long and ragged nails digging into his skin. _

_"Draco." his father hissed. _

_They made it into the hall, and his father propelled him into the corner made by the stairs. _

_"Ever since I have returned, Rowle has been flinging Grandfather jokes and comments at me. Would you like to tell me why?" Lucius asked in a voice that reflected his tenuous hold on his temper. _

_"Come on then." Draco said softly, heading up the stairs. His father followed, until they reached the door of what had once been Draco's playroom, and later his private sitting room, attached to his bedroom. He pushed open the door, causing Lucius to go wide eyed in shock for a moment._

_Draco crossed to the crib in the middle of the room, and picked up the tiny sleeping baby._

_"This is my son. Caelum Abraxas Malfoy. He's four months old."_

_Lucius' nostrils flared and his lips all but disappeared into a thin line. He walked over and looked dismissively at his firstborn grandchild. _

_"Is this why you failed at your mission the Dark Lord gave you? Because you were too busy diddling that little Parkinson bint to focus on your task?" he growled, his voice low and dangerous. _

_"It wasn't Pansy." Draco answered softly._

_Lucius' arm shot out, backhanding Draco across the face before he knew what happened. The Malfoy ring made a cut on the young man's cheekbone, but he held the child steady._

_"It doesn't matter who it was!" Lucius snapped. "You had a mission, and you were too busy shagging to serve the Dark Lord! You're nothing but a worthless, selfish, spoiled, hedonistic child!"_

_Draco said nothing to his father, instead shushing the baby, who had started to whimper faintly. _

_"Is that the best he can do?" Lucius scoffed. "When you were four months old, you could scream the house down."_

_Draco still didn't look at his father. _

_"Who was it?" Lucius demanded. _

_"I thought it didn't matter." Draco sneered, looking up, giving his father a look so much like his own Lucius was momentarily taken aback. _

_"You have shamed the family name, producing a child out of wedlock. You must marry the mother." Lucius replied frostily. _

_"I can't." Draco snorted. _

_"You will." Lucius insisted. _

_"Will not." Draco challenged. "First of all, she's already married. Secondly, she's my aunt."_

_The color slowly drained from Lucius' face. _

_"Yeah. Auntie Bella is his mother." Draco spat out the last word. _

_"You disgusting little pervert." Lucius shook his head in horror and disbelief. _

_"It wasn't my idea. She didn't exactly_ ask_ before she imperiused me and tied me to the bed." Draco told his father, the glare in his eyes contrasting with the hurt in his voice. _

_"No one can find out about this." Lucius looked again at the baby, settling once again in Draco's arms. _

_"You think I don't know that?" Draco rolled his eyes. _

_"You aren't still carrying on with her?" Lucius made a face of disgust. _

_"No. She had enough of me the day she found out she was pregnant. And she has never even held Caelum. She has nothing to do with him." Draco looked down at the child._

_"Good." Lucius spat. _

_"Good?" Draco repeated. "Fuck you."_

_Lucius' hand swung again, but this time Draco caught it in midair, still holding Caelum with one arm. _

_"Do not hit me while I'm holding your grandson." he warned, his voice barely above a growl. _

_"That sickly, worthless lump of flesh will never be my grandson." Lucius flared back. _

_"Draco." _

_It wasn't his father's voice. _

_"Draco, come to me." Luna called him._

He opened his eyes, and he was in his cell again. Luna sat on the bed beside him, and the aurors lined up along the outside of the cell. The thought crossed Draco's mind that they looked like the picture of a zoo he had seen the one year he had been forced to take Muggle Studies.

"Are you all right?" she whispered.

"As well as I can be." he shrugged.

"He will never take Caelum. We'll do whatever we have to. We'll fight him to the very end." she murmured.

He nodded. "You'd better go tell my mother what happened before she hears about it from someone else."

"The court hearing today was closed." Luna reminded him.

"If Lucius thinks he could get away with it, he'll have a press conference in the morning." Draco shook his head sadly.

"Are you sure you're all right?" she asked.

He hugged her and kissed her cheek. "Go give those to my son for me. I've got an idea, but I need to talk about it with Buckingham first."

She stood and left the cell, where both Buckingham and Greystoke waited.

"Gentlemen." Greystoke nodded pointedly at the aurors, who with looks amongst one another turned and followed Luna down the hall.

The two attorneys sat down in chairs the aurors had brought for them.

"You want to show him unprecedented?" Draco asked, his eyes glittering dangerously.

* * *

><p>"Malfoy!" one of the guards barked the next day.<p>

Lucius looked up, not bothering to move, his eyes only reflecting the slightest hint of surprise when he saw the man who accompanied the guard.

"Mr. Lucius Malfoy?" the man asked.

"I am." Lucius drawled, standing slowly and walking to the front of the cell. "And you?"

"I am a process server for the Wizengamot, sir, here to present you with notice of a court proceeding filed against you this morning."

"And the purpose of this court proceeding would be?" Lucius drawled as if supremely bored.

"Well, it's the strangest thing I've ever seen in all my years of court service, sir. Your son has petitioned the Wizengamot to have himself disowned and change his name."


	97. Chapter 95

A/N - yes, it's short and kind of a filler chapter, because the next one starts Lucius' trial.

* * *

><p>"He's being ridiculous." Lucius huffed.<p>

"And you aren't?" his wife folded her arms and raised an eyebrow at him.

"Does he not understand his duty to this family?" Lucius fumed.

"Do you not understand your responsibility to act in your son's best interests?" she countered.

"It is in my son's best interests that this family remains intact, with the line pure!" he insisted.

"You're the one driving him away!" she flared. "You refuse to accept his wife, and you're trying to have his son taken away! Both of whom are pureblooded, I might add!"

"The child is a bastard born of incest, not to mention weak and sickly!" he pounded his fist on the table. "It should never have been brought in this world. And his so called wife may be pure blooded, but she's about as addle brained as they come."

"But she is his wife. He loves her, and she's good for him." she answered a little more calmly. "And Caelum is his son. Regardless of how he came into this world, Draco loves him."

"There are more important things than love!" Lucius snarled.

"Really?" Narcissa stood and moved toward the door. "Think about that. Because if it comes down to a choice between you and my son, Draco _will_ win."

"What do you mean by that?" Lucius asked, his eyes narrowed.

"Just what I said." Narcissa walked out of the room.

* * *

><p>"Malfoy." Potter hung at the cell door uncertainly.<p>

"Yes, Potter?" Draco huffed in annoyance.

"Um, ... I came by to tell you." Potter cleared his throat before continuing. "Your father's attorneys tried to block you from testifying at his trial. They made a motion before the Wizengamot that your testimony would be biased due to the ... personal issues ... between the two of you. The Auror Office opposed it, stating that your testimony was very important because you were one of the closest to your father, and had a great deal of relevant knowledge as to the inner workings of Voldemort's regime. Your attorneys opposed it as well, stating that the testimony given at your father's trial would be important in your defense in your own trial. The Wizengamot ruled in favor of you testifying."

"I knew about Lucius' motion." Draco answered testily. "My lawyers told me they were opposing the matter. But thank you for telling me the outcome. You've saved them a trip."

"Malfoy." Potter wasn't leaving.

"Yes, Potter?" Draco asked with exaggerated patience.

"Look, I can understand why you would want to separate yourself from your father, but if it's because of what happened when I burned your father's letters ... "

"Why do you think everything in the world revolves around you?" Draco vaulted off the bed and stomped to the front of the cell. "Maybe I want his intereference in my life stopped once and for all. Maybe I don't want to expose my wife and my son to his hate and prejudice any longer. Maybe I have my own reasons that I don't have to tell you. Why can't you just mind your own business and stay out of mine?"

Potter shook his head and held up his hands. "I'm sorry. I'm just .. I was just trying to help."

"Why do you keep trying to help me?" Draco fumed. "You don't even like me. Why can't you just leave me alone?"

"I'm sorry." Potter repeated, tilting his head forward and shoving his hair back. "I just ... I spent seven years waiting to take on Voldemort. Seven years that everyone was looking at me like I had all the answers. Now that it's over, I don't know where I fit into the world any more." he looked up, meeting Draco's eyes. "And I think maybe you feel the same way. You don't know where you fit in anymore either."

Draco backed away, suddenly uncomfortable. "I have a mother and a mind healer, Potter. I don't need anyone else offering their analysis."

"And you wouldn't accept analysis from me anyway." Potter sighed.

Draco sat down with his back to the door.

When he turned back around, Potter was gone.

* * *

><p>Luna came that afternoon.<p>

They laid side by side on Draco's narrow cot, and she told him of what she'd been doing with the foundation, and about Caelum's progress with physical therapy. He was slowly but surely making progress both with holding himself upright on his horse and maintaining his balance with the walker.

"Your father's trial starts the day after tomorrow." she said softly, lacing her fingers through his.

"Yeah." he nodded.

"There's been a lot of public demand to set a date for yours." she told him. "Greystoke said we could probably expect the Wizengamot to set a date this week."

"There are times I just want to get it over with." he said. "But then I realize that they wouldn't let you come in and be with me like this. And they won't let you bring Caelum to Azkaban until he's older."

"We're going to do everything we can to keep you out of Azkaban." she promised.

"Sometimes I think about trying to escape, and us going to South Africa." he sighed. "But I don't want you and Caelum in danger again."

"No." she shook her head. "We're not going to run."

He snuggled her closer and they laid there quietly until Zimmerman came to tell them time was up.


	98. Chapter 96

A/N - I'm sorry it's been so long. I've rewritten this chapter four times, and I'm still not happy with it, but at this point, I don't think it's going to get any better.

* * *

><p>In terms of chaos, the first day of Lucius Malfoy's trial probably ranked second to only the Battle of Hogwarts.<p>

The Auror Department ended up closing the entire floor where the Wizengamot chambers were located, as well as the one above, an hour before scheduled start time. Witnesses who had to be escorted through the lobby were brought in under glamours. Unknown to the rabid crowd of demonstrators and even more rabid reporters, the defendent had been brought from Azkaban to the Ministry holding cells in the middle of the night, and guarded by as many aurors as could be spared.

He entered the Wizengamot chambers as regally as possible for someone who was wearing a prison uniform and magic dampening bracelet, flanked by six aurors. He gave an attempt at a smile that looked more like a nervous smirk to his wife. She glared in return. He glared at his son, who probably would have made a rude hand gesture had he not been shackled. He ignored his daughter in law completely.

The confusion barely slowed once the defendant was in place. The courtroom was filled well over capacity, to the point many were standing against the walls. All fifty members of the Wizengamot were present on the benches, and many of them were looking over the documents pertaining to the case.

"Chief Warlock," called out a frizzy haired witch in the third row. "I think we may have a mistake. On the second page, it lists a kidnapping charge, with Luna Lovegood Malfoy as the victim. The third page lists an attempted kidnapping charge with the same victim."

"There were two separate incidents." Robards replied.

"How can he be charged with kidnapping a member of his own family?" a wizard near the back asked.

"She was not his daughter in law at the time." Robards looked at Luna. "She married his son later."

"Why is he only facing 301 charges, when he was a Death Eater much longer than his son, who is facing 375?" another wizard questioned.

"He was tried on 164 charges in June of 1996, and was sentenced to twenty years in Azkaban at that time. He spent nearly a year in prison before he escaped." Robards sounded as if he were trying very hard to maintain his composure. "If you'll note, the very first charge is Escape From Custody."

"Shall we get the proceedings started?" the Chief Warlock asked testily.

No one seemed to object, so he called the session to order, and read off the charges against Lucius. When they reached the charge of involuntary manslaughter of Jeremiah Avery, Lucius cleared his throat.

"Sir, I believe that charge is a mistake. My son should be held culpable for Mr. Avery's death, as well as the injuries I suffered on the same night. I don't recall seeing a pertinent charge on the list of his crimes printed in The Daily Prophet." Lucius addressed the court haughtily.

"Chief Robards?" the head jurist questioned.

Robards rolled his eyes. "Mr. Avery was killed by wards set by Draco Malfoy, however, the wards were on Mr. Malfoy's private living quarters and set for the protection of his family. Mr. Avery was one of three wizards trying to break into Mr. Malfoy's suite to kidnap his fiancee and child. Mr. Lucius Malfoy was the leader of the three. Wizarding common law charges responsibility for a death occurring during the commission of a crime to any surviving accomplices, hence the charges against Lucius Malfoy. As for the injuries Lucius obtained at Draco's hand, Draco confronted his father still attempting to break into the room. He had cause to fear for the safety of his family, and therefore was justified in using deadly force."

"The charges would seem to be correct." the Chief Warlock looked at Lucius over his glasses and continued reading. When he reached the end of the list, he looked over at Lucius and his attorney. "Does the defendant wish to plead guilty?"

"No, your honour." the attorney stood. "Mr. Malfoy would like to propose an exchange of the information he has on other Death Eaters and their activities for a reduced sentence."

There was twittering among the Wizengamot panel.

"Mr. Farraday, you must realize this is most unusual." the Chief Warlock frowned. "Most negotiations for a reduced sentence are conducted before the case reaches trial."

"Yes, your honour." the attorney nodded. "However, Mr. Malfoy declined the aurors' offer the first time, as I was not present to advise him. They did not offer the arrangement again."

"Your honour, whatever information Mr. Malfoy has would have to be extremely valuable." Robards shot an annoyed look at the attorney. "Might I remind the court that Mr. Malfoy is charged with several murders which occurred during the time he was a fugitive from justice on previous criminal charges."

Farraday signaled to the Chief Warlock. "Might I remind the court that Lucius Malfoy turned against Voldemort and fought with Potter's side at the Battle of Hogwarts?"

Robards rolled his eyes. "Might I remind the court that ten minutes prior, Lucius Malfoy was publicly trying to convince his son to come to Voldemort's side?"

"Is this true, Mr. Malfoy?" the Chief Warlock looked to Lucius.

"I was attempting to remove my son to safety." Lucius pinched his mouth into a tight line. "My son was standing in opposition against the Dark Lord. It was my intention to bring him over behind the Dark Lord, out of harm's way, until we could make our escape from the battle."

"Might I remind the court that this would be the same son Mr. Malfoy was trying to have charged with manslaughter and assault with intent to kill earlier in this same proceeding?" Draco's lawyer addressed the court, earning him several dirty looks."

The Chief Warlock sighed, took off his glasses and pinched his nose. "You're all giving me a headache. It's time for lunch. I am going to suspend the rest of the day's trial, in favor of allowing the auror department to meet with Mr. Malfoy and his attorney to review this information that is being offered, and allow the two sides to determine if a reduced sentence is warranted."

He dismissed the courtroom. Narcissa turned to Draco's attorney.

"Does Lucius really have a chance of going free?"

The attorney shrugged. "It depends on what his information is. Go free, probably not. Reduced sentence? We'll just have to wait and see."

The aurors came at that moment to escort Draco back to his cell. Narcissa and Luna flooed home, where Luna spent the afternoon playing with Caelum and desperately trying not to think about the remainder of Lucius' trial.

* * *

><p>The following morning, her twenty-sixth day of being Mrs. Malfoy, Luna awoke and ran to the toilet, barely making it before the sickness overwhelmed her. Rinka apparently alerted Narcissa, who came in a few moments later.<p>

"Oh, sweetheart." Narcissa knelt beside her, a glass of water in one hand and a damp cloth in the other.

When the nausea and vomiting subsided, Luna gratefully took the glass and rinsed her mouth, and then the cloth to wipe her face.

"I don't know what it is." Luna said hoarsely. "We should keep Caelum away until we find out whether I'm contagious."

Narcissa smiled. "You're not contagious, you're pregnant."

"I wish." Luna sighed.

Narcissa produced her wand, repeating the spell Luna had performed privately three weeks earlier.

The wand tip glowed before she even finished the motion.

Luna looked at her mother in law in horror. "You switched the potions without telling me."


	99. Chapter 97

"He s going to be livid." Luna sighed.

Narcissa smiled, albeit superiorly. "You and Draco may be upset now. But you'll be thankful for this child later."

"Don't tell him today." Luna warned. "I'll tell him after I've seen a healer, and when I can speak with him privately."

"That's fine." Narcissa agreed. "He's got enough on his mind with his father's trial right now anyway."

Luna laid down for a few moments to settle her stomach, and Narcissa had Rinka to bring some weak tea. The elf also brought in Caelum when he woke, who was happy to snuggle with his mummy for a few minutes before deciding it was time for breakfast.

Luna s morning sickness had almost completely passed by the time she and Narcissa left for the Ministry. The floo trip did cause the nausea to come back for a moment, but Luna sat down briefly and it passed again.

The waiting, however, almost made them late for the hearing, so that Lucius and Draco had already been brought to the courtroom by the time the ladies arrived. Luna smiled at Draco as they slid into their seats.

The proceedings were almost immediately called to order by the chief warlock.

"Do we have a decision on the proposal for leniency in exchange for information?" he asked.

Robards stood. "Your Honour, Mr. Malfoy did provide us with extensive information on Death Eater associates, previously used hideouts, and criminal activities the Auror office had previously not solved. We sent a couple aurors last night to follow up on some of the information he had given us, and it has already resulted in one arrest. We believe that given more time to conduct proper operations and investigations, Mr. Malfoy could be instrumental in at least a dozen arrests and successful prosecutions."

Lucius' attorney stood and smirked at Draco before turning to face the court. "Your Honour, I would like to move that all new charges against my client be dismissed, and that his remaining sentence from his prior prosecution be commuted to probation."

There was an instantaneous uproar in the courtroom.

"Order!" the chief warlock shouted, waving his wand. The shouting continued, so he fired off a spell that momentarily silenced everyone in the courtroom and caused the lights to flash. "I will remove anyone who cannot control themselves!" he thundered.

The chamber fell silent.

"Now," he continued. "The Wizengamot needs to consider this new development. I'm going to adjourn this hearing until after lunch to allow the panel for discussion on the matter. We will reconvene at 1 o'clock."

"I don't see why they couldn't establish that before everyone came here today." Narcissa huffed, starting to stand.

The throng was slowly moving toward the door. The aurors formed a perimeter around Lucius and Draco, waiting for the crowd to disperse before escorting them back to the holding cells. The two women walked toward their husbands.

"If you'd like, you can come visit with Draco for a bit." Robards offered Luna and Narcissa. "I can't authorize any visitor for Luc- ... "

He was interuppted by shouting, coming from a body forcing its way against the tide of people.

"Malfoy! Malfoy!" the man shouted.

All four Malfoys turned to look at him.

"You!" he pointed at Lucius. "You killed my son! My son! He didn't do anything wrong! He just loved a muggle girl and you killed him for it! Now you're going to just walk away? Just because you know who the other Death Eaters are?"

The man bounded over the low railing separating the spectator area from the participant area and drew his wand, aiming for Lucius.

"Stand down!" one of the aurors barked at the same time another shouted "Drop your wand!"

"He's right, you know!" someone in the crowd called out. "Are the lives Malfoy has taken worth nothing?"

"You're protecting a murderer!" someone else yelled.

Lucius' accuser fired off a spell. Lucius ducked behind the aurors. Draco tried to shove through them toward his wife and mother.

The women were caught in the middle. Luna and Narcissa shoved against one another, each trying to push the other backwards as the hex fizzled off the shield one of the aurors had thrown over them.

Someone screamed. Zimmerman and Shacklebolt broke from the huddle of aurors around the prisoners to tackle the two women to the floor just as the shield was dropped. One of the aurors shouted something about too many civilians behind. The suspect raised his wand again.

"I'll show you, Malfoy."

The man pointed his wand at Draco, still struggling vainly to free himself.

"Avada ... "

"Expelliarmus!" Potter shouted, but the spell went wide as someone bumped into his back.

Savage and Potter dashed forward, trying to get to the man before it was too late. Robards wrestled Draco toward the floor.

The assailant lurched forward and fell to the ground in a tumble of limbs and red hair.

When everything stopped moving, Ron Weasley held the man pinned to the ground, his wand just out of arm's reach.

Savage leaned over, pressing his wand into the suspect's neck as Potter offered Weasley a hand up.

"Nice take down." Potter grinned.

"Good to know I learned something by being the youngest brother." Weasley grinned back.

About fifteen people asked "Are you all right?" in unison.

Several other aurors moved forward to help Savage secure the prisoner.

Robards relented and allowed Draco to crawl over to where his wife and mother were being helped up by aurors. The three of them stumbled to their feet awkwardly as he pulled both women into his arms.

"We're fine." Luna assured him.

"We don't know that." Narcissa's eyes suddenly went wide. "We're taking you to St Mungos to be checked over."

"Are you hurt?" Draco pulled back, looking at her.

"I'm fine." Luna shook her head ever so slightly at her mother in law.

"I'm taking you to be checked, and that's final. You were knocked down. All of the uproar, someone could have hit you with some other spell and no one noticed." her mother in law insisted.

Draco smiled. "She was like this every time I sneezed when I was a child."

"I'll see the ladies to St Mungo's." Zimmerman offered.

Robards nodded, standing beside Draco. "It won't hurt anything to have them checked over. I'm going to have to rescind the visit offer anyway. I daresay the building will be on lockdown most of the day."

Draco kissed his wife's lips and his mother's cheek. "Let me know everything is all right."

Narcissa nodded, allowing Zimmerman to escort them out the door to the floo.

They were taken to an examining room straightaway, with Zimmerman flopping into a chair.

"Auror Zimmerman," Narcissa reached in her purse for several galleon coins. "Would you be so kind as to run upstairs and get us something to drink? Please, get yourself something as well."

The auror hesitated. "I would hate to have anyone try anything here, after the excitement we've already had this morning."

"You do make a point." Narcissa nodded. "I was just concerned over our modesty, if the healer were to need to do a female exam..."

Zimmerman jumped to his feet. "I'm sure you'll be perfectly fine while the healer is in here. What would you like to drink?"

He scribbled down their tea instructions and flew out the door the moment a healer came in.

Narcissa giggled. "Men are all the same. They run from any mentions of mysterious female medical things."

They explained to the healer what had happened, and how just that morning Luna had a positive pregnancy test.

The healer examined them both, taking extra time and care with Luna.

"Everyone is just fine." the old woman assured them. "You are expecting, Mrs. Malfoy, and the baby has a strong, steady heartbeat. I'd like you to take things easy for the next few days, rest as much as possible and elevate your feet, just to make sure everything is fine. I'll check you again in a week, and we'll set a schedule for your regular appointments then."

The healer wished them both well and went along to her next patient.

"We won't tell Draco yet." Narcissa nodded, as they waited for Zimmerman to return.

* * *

><p>Potter stepped up, offering to escort Draco back to the holding cell. Robards nodded. They walked in silence until Malfoy stepped into the cell. He turned before entering, looking at the auror trainee's face for a moment before looking downward.<p>

"Thank you, back there. You ran toward a man spouting avadas."

Potter leaned against the open doorframe. "You were pretty brave yourself. It was you the man was trying to kill, but you were still fighting to try to get to your family."

"Anything but that." Draco joked dryly. "At this point in my life, I _cannot_ turn into a Gryffindor."

"Malfoy." Potter said.

Draco waited a moment, and then turned when no further words were spoken.

Potter sighed, and shifted from one foot to the other. "I know, years ago, you offered to be my friend and I didn't accept. Maybe I should have, or maybe things turned out the way they were meant to be. But we've both changed and grown up a lot during the in between years, and I'd like to start again."

He held out his hand. Draco looked at it for a long moment before he reached out and shook it.


	100. Chapter 98

Narcissa and Luna went back to the Manor from St Mungos. An owl was waiting to inform them that the afternoon court hearing had been cancelled, and the trial would resume the following morning.

Rinka was just about to give Caelum his lunch, so the two Malfoy women ate with him in the nursery, and then Narcissa insisted that Luna lay down and take a nap with the child.

The elder Mrs. Malfoy made her way down the stairs as an elf was coming up to announce a visitor. Arriving in the sitting room, she found an auror trainee waiting for her.

"Mr. Potter," she addressed. "May I offer you something to eat?"

"No, thank you." The young man seemed a bit bewildered by the offer. "Draco was concerned about you and Luna. I came to check on the two of you for him."

"That is very kind of you." she seated herself primly in one of the wing back chairs and gestured for him to sit opposite her. "You can assure him we are both fine."

"Where is Luna?" Potter asked, looking toward the door.

"She is laying down with Caelum." Narcissa smiled politely. "I believe all the stress of everything that's gone on over the past few months may be weighing on her. She needs to rest more and eat better, but physically she's fine. Are you sure I can't offer you some refreshment, Mr. Potter?"

Potter shook his head. "No, I've alread eaten, but thank you. Draco will be relieved. He was afraid there was something going on that he wasn't aware of, with your insistence that Luna be checked at St Mungos."

"Only that the poor girl is pushing herself too hard." Narcissa waved her hand. "The healer sided with me, and told her to rest more."

"I hope she does so." Harry nodded as he stood. "I'd better get back to headquarters. Thank you again, Mrs. Malfoy."

"Thank you also, Mr. Potter, for checking on us on my son's behalf." Narcissa rose gracefully, crossing to the mantle to offer the bowl of floo powder. "Tell him that we send our love and will see him soon."

As the green flames died down, Narcissa smiled to herself. Her son really was more intelligent than most people gave him credit for.

* * *

><p>"They're fine, Malfoy." Potter repeated for the fourth time.<p>

"I should have made you bring her here." Draco folded his arms. "I can tell when my mother is lying."

"You're paranoid." Potter shook his head.

"Being paranoid has kept me alive for nineteen years." Draco shrugged.

* * *

><p>Narcissa woke Luna a little early the following morning with a cup of ginger tea to ease the morning sickness. They made it to the Wizengamot in plenty of time so that they were able to spend a few moments with Draco and Lucius before the proceedings started.<p>

The jurists filed in quietly and took their places, with the Chief Warlock calling the hearing to order.

"Mr. Malfoy," he addressed the defendant, who obediently rose to face the court. "The court is aware that you were accused of being a Death Eater during the First War. You testified at the time that you had been under the Imperius Curse, and the charges were dismissed. Is that correct?"

"Yes, Your Honour." Lucius nodded.

"But you do not claim to be under the Imperius Curse at this time?" the judge continued.

"Correct, Your Honour." Lucius agreed. "I was not under the Imperius Curse. However, the Dark Lord had threatened by family if I did not cooperate... "

"Mr. Malfoy," the Chief Warlock gave him a disparaging look. "Considering the fact that you supposedly had already been Imperiused by the Death Eaters, I find this story a little difficult to believe. You knew how dangerous the Death Eaters were, but you allowed not only your sister in law and her husband, but her husband's brother and several of their friends to take refuge in your home after their escape from Azkaban? You claim your family was threatened, but you yourself placed the Death Eaters in proximity to be able to threaten them. At that time, your son was safe at Hogwarts. So if you and your wife felt threatened by your houseguests, why did you not seek help from the Aurors?"

He paused, but Lucius did not answer.

"We have been told how you publicly pronounced your loyalty to Voldemort in the cemetary at Little Hangleton the night Cedric Diggory was killed. Furthermore, we have testimony from multiple witnesses that you were in fact the leader of the Death Eater faction which attempted to kill Harry Potter and steal a prophecy from the Department of Mysteries on 18 June, 1996. You did not appear to be in danger or under any sort of threat that night. In fact, you were the one making the threats. Is that correct, Mr. Malfoy?"

"Your Honour, my client is not on trial for his actions that night." the attorney objected.

"True, Mr. Wallace," the judge agreed. "But his actions that night do have a direct bearing on the charges we are here to consider today." He paused and looked over his glasses at the defendant. "Mr. Malfoy could have remained in Azkaban to serve his sentence for those actions. However, he chose to escape with the Death Eaters, indicating that he had thrown in his lot with their group. He could have fled from the Death Eaters once out of the prison, rather than returning to Voldemort's side. Mr. Malfoy by his own actions seems to have identified himself as a Death Eater. One serving by his own free will, at that. Voldemort, by Mr. Malfoy's prior testimony, had already used an Unforgivable Curse agains the defendant, but Mr. Malfoy chose not to seek rescue from Voldemort. Instead his actions indicate that Mr. Malfoy acted in full control and awareness of his actions. Now that he has found himself on the losing side, Mr. Malfoy is simply trying to save his own skin by claiming fear of Voldemort and the Death Eaters and testifying against his former comrades."

Robards stood. "Your Honour, I don't dispute anything you've said. But I would like to remind the court that the information that Mr. Malfoy provided has already resulted in the apprehension of several fugitive Death Eaters and is likely to prove instrumental in bringing other dark wizards to justice."

"I appreciate your position, Auror Robards." the Chief Warlock nodded. "However, the usefulness of Mr. Malfoy's information does not negate the fact it was only offered because Mr. Malfoy sought to escape Azkaban. Had Voldemort not been defeated, I have no doubt that Mr. Malfoy would currently be at his side, and show no more interest in leaving the Dark Lord's side at this time than he had previously."

"Your Honour," the attorney interrupted. "Mr. Malfoy left the Dark Lord's side and fought with the Aurors at the Battle of Hogwarts."

"Yes, he did." the Chief Warlock frowned. "Once he saw that it would be to his advantage to do so. Mr. Malfoy has shown the court that he will sacrifice anything or anyone necessary, including his own son, as it suits his purposes. Furthermore, his actions at the final battle do not erase the murders and tortures he participated in prior to that night."

Narcissa reached over and clutched Luna's hand.

"Lucius Malfoy," the judge addressed the defendant. "based on the crimes of which you stand accused, you could be sentenced to life in Azkaban or even the Dementor's Kiss. However, the Auror office has pleaded for leniency on your behalf, due to the information you have given them. Therefore, on the 301 charges you currently face, I sentence you to five years' incarceration in Azkaban, to be followed by twenty years of probation."

Lucius's shoulders slumped in relief.

Until the Chief Warlock continued.

"The five year term will run consecutively to the remainder of your original twenty year sentence to Azkaban that you were serving at the time you escaped, to bring your total sentence to twenty four years, two months and nine days in Azkaban."

Narcissa gasped and clapped her hand over her mouth. Luna slipped an arm around her mother in law, and sneaked a glance at Draco, who had paled in shock.

He raised his head to meet Luna's gaze, as the disbelief in his eyes faded into resignation of his own fate.


	101. Chapter 99

Luna accompanied a shaken Narcissa home, insisting that her mother in law take a calming draught a lie down for a while.

She fed Caelum his lunch and put him down for his nap. While he rested, she answered some correspondence for the new foundation.

She wasn't at all surprised when Harry Potter appeared in the downstairs floo two hours later.

"Malfoy ... Draco ... he's doing it again." The Auror trainee informed her. "He's curled up in a ball in the corner, and he won't move or speak or whatever."

She nodded, asked Rinka to watch Caelum, and accompanied Harry back to the holding cell area.

Draco was, as Harry said, sitting in the corner, his back against the wall and his arms around his raised knees. Luna nodded in answer to Harry's raised eyebrow, indicating he was right to bring her.

"Draco." She called softly, entering the cell.

He didn't move, but she knew he wasn't trapped in his mind to the point he couldn't hear her.

She slowly crossed the room, sitting down beside him on the floor.

"Hey." She pulled him against her, and his body sagged. "Tell me about it." She whispered.

"My father got almost 25 years." He murmured, leaning into her. "He told them everything he knew, he turned sides at the end, and he got almost 25 years. I don't have anything to bargain with. I'm charged with more crimes than he was. I'll never get out of Azkaban."

She smoothed his hair. "Your attorneys are working on it. You were charged with more crimes, but most of them weren't as serious as the ones your father was charged with. You weren't charged with any murders. There's the fact that you were recruited when you were underage, and the fact that Voldemort was threatening your family. The Wizengamot has to be more lenient with you."

"They don't have to do anything." He argued. "No one under 16 is allowed in Azkaban. I won't see my son again until he's almost grown."

"Draco." She sighed. "We're doing everything we can to keep you out of Azkaban. But if it happens, we'll go forward from there. I'll take pictures and bring to you every time I come visit. We'll find some way for you to see Caelum."

"I just want to go _home."_ He whispered, and the first tear hit Luna's hand.

"I know." She whispered back, snuggling him closer.

"He won't remember me." Draco choked.

"He will. I'll make sure he does." She promised.

Luna stayed with him for over an hour, until Harry subtly told her it was time for her to leave. Draco wasn't much better, but Luna and Harry both seemed to realize this was something Luna wasn't going to be able to fix in just a little while.

Draco barely acknowledged when she kissed his cheek and told him that she would be back as soon as she could.

She stopped by the office on the way out, asking Robards to please make sure Draco's mind healer was called.

She flooed back home, to find Narcissa had gone out on an errand and Caelum was crying for his daddy.

Luna picked him up, with his dragon, settled into the rocking chair, and cried too.

* * *

><p>Draco's attorney stopped by later that afternoon. Narcissa had not returned, so Luna met the man over tea in the blue sitting room.<p>

"Thorfin Rowle has decided to plead guilty in exchange for a guarantee that the Wizengamot will not pursue the kiss in his case." The solicitor informed her. "Rabastan Lestrange's attorney has also submitted a plea arrangement offer for a reduced sentence. They're asking for five years, in consideration of the fact that he was recruited while underage, and knew nothing in life other than being a Death Eater and prison."

"Do you think the Wizengamot will agree?" She asked.

"Probably not." Greystoke informed her bluntly. "He may get ten or fifteen at best. But if he had asked for ten, they would have offered him twenty."

"Are you trying to say that you think Draco should make a plea offer?" She looked at the man earnestly.

He sighed. "It's a tough call to make. I was really hoping we could go all in for an acquittal, based on his circumstances. After the outcome of his father's trial, I'm afraid Draco's trial will be tainted. He may should consider an offer with a combination of a short sentence and lengthy house arrest, possibly even a therapeutic treatment facility rather than Azkaban." He shook his head. "It would eliminate the possibility of acquittal if we did so. But on the other hand, we could be in much worse shape if we went to trial and lost."

"Don't talk to him about it just yet." Luna cautioned. "We should probably involve his mind healer before we discuss the matter with him. Draco is not ... he's very emotional right now."

The solicitor nodded. "I understand. But don't hesitate too long. I fear that if we wait too long to make an offer, the Wizengamot will tire of discussing them, and start refusing."

* * *

><p>Narcissa returned several hours later, after Luna had already fed Caelum his dinner, bathed him, and put him to bed.<p>

"Are you all right?" Luna asked, a bit unnerved by the look in the older woman's eyes.

Narcissa smirked. "Perfectly well." She poured herself a shot of firewhiskey, something Luna had never seen her do before. "Sometimes the best solution is to be proactive."

"What do you mean?" Luna had a niggling feeling that she would not like the answer.

"I went to see Garrick Ollivander." Narcissa finished her drink and asked Mimsy to get a bottle of wine.

"You aren't supposed to have contact with potential witnesses against Draco." Luna reminded her.

"He won't remember I was there." Narcissa smirked. "Ollivander will testify that Draco and Rab were kind to him while he was in the cellar. They smuggled down food, blankets, and medicine to the prisoners." Something about Narcissa's demeanor made Luna's blood run cold.

"I know Draco did because I asked him to." She looked at her mother in law carefully. "But did Rab ever do that? I didn't know anything about it."

"Ollivander will remember that Rab did." Narcissa smiled chillingly, almost evilly.

Luna stared at her for a long moment, wondering if the Dark Lord had truly been the most dangerous being in this house.


End file.
